Blazers guard Ja Morant (1) during media day
Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Since the Portland Trail Blazers acquired Ja Morant in an offseason trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, the glaring question of whether or not he would start alongside Damian Lillard in the backcourt has loomed large. New head coach Micah Nori has been secretive about his plans for Morant, Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson in the backcourt, but we finally have an answer.
Morant will in fact be starting in the Trail Blazers' season opener on Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns, according to NBA reporter Chris Haynes. This news follows earlier reports that the former two-time All-Star would likely come off the bench.
It is no secret that the Blazers have a logjam problem in their backcourt, one that could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. All four guards (Lillard, Morant, Holiday, and Henderson) are highly skilled ball-handlers, and the three veterans each bring something different.
Whereas Holiday is an elite defender and Lillard is one of the greatest perimeter-shooting threats in NBA history, Morant is a terrific athlete who can attack and create scoring opportunities for not only himself but also his teammates off the drive. Henderson is a lot like this as well and is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 14.2 points per game.
In Morant's case, his playmaking abilities and athleticism paired with Lillard's floor spacing and shooting give the Blazers a strong one-two backcourt punch on offense in their starting lineup.
In seven seasons with the Grizzlies, Morant averaged 22.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 31.1 percent from 3-point range. He is looking to reinvent himself in Portland with a fresh start next to other former stars and put all the drama from his time in Memphis behind him.
Although previous reports suggested that Nori was not sold on the idea of starting Morant with Lillard in the backcourt, that has appeared to change before the Blazers' season opener at home on Wednesday night.
After playing in just 20 games a season ago with the Grizzlies, Morant is on a mission to prove he is still one of the better point guards in the NBA.