Is Ja Morant actually going to come off the bench for Blazers with Damian Lillard returning?
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The Portland Trail Blazers will host the Phoenix Suns at Moda Center on Wednesday for their season opener. All eyes will be on the team’s backcourt, with Damian Lillard returning from an Achilles injury and Ja Morant making his debut.
The biggest question for the Trail Blazers heading into the contest is Morant’s place in the rotation. Will he start alongside Lillard or come off the bench? It might be a good problem for coach Micah Nori, who is in his first season in Portland. Nori, however, also needs to tread lightly due to Morant’s combustible personality.
Andscape’s Marc Spears stated that “Morant is expected to come off the bench,” citing the “backcourt logjam.” Spears added that the 36-year-old Lillard is bullish on his partnership with the 27-year-old Morant, regardless of the role the high-flying guard is tasked to play.
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“A lot of people have him wrong. You see what people say, you see the judgment, and all of that. We all go through our things, but being around him this much every day, he’s a solid dude,” said Lillard, who sat out last season.
“We share a lot of childhood experiences and laugh about it, but you know, he’s a sharp dude. You can tell he’s a team player, selfless, just naturally the way he plays the game, just the way he comes off.”
Nori has expressed apprehension about starting Lillard and Morant together due to their redundant attributes. Jrue Holiday might be a better fit alongside Lillard, with Morant serving as the sixth man instead.
The change of scenery could bode well for Morant, whose talent has been overshadowed by controversies in recent years.
Last season, he played only 20 games due to various injuries, averaging 19.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.0 steals.
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