Morant bench proposal leaves Portland facing backcourt call

The Portland Trail Blazers face a decision over how to fit Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija into their starting lineup this season. First-year coach Micah Nori has not settled on a starting lineup and expects to try Lillard and Morant together in the preseason.

Lillard said at training camp on Tuesday that he expects to start alongside both players. Avdija is also expected to start after developing into an All-Star last season, when he was Portland’s only reliable ball-handler. That leaves Nori to decide whether Lillard and Morant should both join him in the opening group.

A question of balance

Portland traded for Morant earlier this offseason and reacquired Lillard last summer as he recovered from a torn Achilles. The additions give the Blazers more options to create shots, but starting all three could limit how often Avdija has the ball.

There are concerns at the other end of the court, too. A Lillard-Morant pairing would present a difficult defensive challenge for Portland, while Morant’s shooting could make it harder for Avdija to find space on offence.

One proposed solution is to start Lillard next to Avdija and bring Morant off the bench. Lillard’s shooting could allow him to contribute when Avdija has the ball, while still giving Portland another player capable of running its offence. Morant, meanwhile, could take a more prominent shot-creation role with the second unit.

More than a tactical choice

A bench role would be a significant change for Morant. He started every game he played under Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo last season and has come off the bench only twice in his career, both times after an injury. Morant has two years left on his contract.

Nori said he would not want Jrue Holiday’s willingness to come off the bench to be the reason for not starting him. “What we don’t want is, just because Jrue may not care about starting, saying, ‘Well, Jrue will handle it the best, so don’t start him,’” he said.

Preseason offers the first test

For now, Nori intends to see how a Lillard-Morant starting partnership works in preseason rather than decide the matter in advance. He also recognised the uncertainty around asking Morant to come off the bench: “On the outside, I think he would handle it great,” Nori said. “On the inside … I don’t know.”

The preseason test could help Portland assess a decision that affects both Avdija’s role and how much of the offence Morant can lead.