The Portland Trail Blazers went 42-40 last year, making the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season. That was with Tiago Splitter thrust into the head coaching role after Chauncey Billups' sudden suspension. The team only got better over the offseason, hiring coveted assistant Micah Nori, bringing back franchise icon Damian Lillard, and trading for two-time All-Star Ja Morant.
But the addition of Morant hasn't come without criticism, with many questioning the fit next to Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson in the backcourt. Lillard addressed those concerns during media day Monday and sent a strong message about his new Blazers teammate. "When you speak about his career, all of our careers have ups and downs.
It's a journey, on the court and off the court. It's how you respond to those experiences," Lillard said. "Being around him, you see he's a good dude.
I consider myself a pretty good judge of character. You see he's a good dude, easy to be around. When we're hooping, the talent is obvious.
I think for us it's just a matter of playing for each other, doing the right things, and we could really be a hard team to deal with." "If I get the ball, and I'm advancing the ball to Ja Morant, I feel pretty good about it," he added. "I think the balance will work itself out just based on what we're all capable of. But if your mentality is right and we handle it right, I think we can be a tough time for everybody." More news: Pistons Star Jalen Duren Sends Clear Message With Training Camp Holdout Morant spent his first seven seasons in Memphis, developing into one of the NBA's most electrifying, high-flying guards.
He made two All-Star teams, won Most Improved Player and second-team All-NBA in 2022, and helped lead the Grizzlies to a franchise-record 56 wins that same season. But his career in Memphis was repeatedly derailed by off-court controversy, including two separate suspensions, along with recurring injuries that limited him to just 79 games over the last three seasons. More news: Anthony Davis Gives Honest Take on Wizards No. 1 Overall Pick AJ Dybantsa More news: Spurs Star Victor Wembanyama Opens up on Devastating NBA Finals Loss Still, Morant just turned 27 in August and is a career 20-point-per-game scorer, as well as a player who can set up his teammates, averaging 7.4 assists per game for his career.
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