The Blazers' Video Game Backcourt is Officially Here
Underdog NBA confirmed the starting lineup of Morant, Lillard, Avdija, Camara, and Clingan.
The Portland Trail Blazers are rolling out a starting five that looks like a late-night video game simulation where someone forgot to turn the salary cap back on. Ja Morant and Damian Lillard sharing a backcourt is officially happening on Thursday.
Underdog NBA confirmed Portland is starting Morant, Lillard, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan. This is no longer just a fun offseason thought experiment. It is the engine of an undefeated basketball team that is currently terrorizing the Western Conference.
Portland is sitting at a clean 3-0 after hanging 136 points on the Los Angeles Lakers and 128 on the . When you have two point guards who can pull up from the parking lot or break down a defense at will, opposing units tend to look like they are running in wet cement.
Morant is quietly shooting an absurd 58.8 percent from the floor in his first three games in a Blazers uniform. He is letting Lillard do the heavy lifting while picking his spots, which is a terrifying development for anyone trying to set a defensive rotation against this roster.
The frontcourt is doing exactly what it needs to do to keep the guards clean. Avdija is already putting up historic numbers for a Portland debut, joining Lillard as one of the only Blazers in two decades to drop 20 points and five boards in his first three games.
If you are looking at player props, figuring out who gets the primary usage between Morant and Lillard is going to be a nightly headache. The offensive pie is huge, but guessing who gets the biggest slice on any given night is a coin flip.
The real story is the schedule. Thursday night brings the Memphis Grizzlies to town. Morant gets to face his former team, which happens to be 4-0, with a starting lineup designed to run them out of the gym. Get your popcorn ready.