Dame Time is back in Portland — and the Blazers look dangerous
· Yahoo Sports
A new head coach will roam the sidelines. A franchise icon will make his long-awaited return. An All-Star will begin his redemption tour.
And a new ownership group will watch its first season opener from Paul Allen’s former seats along the Moda Center baseline.
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The Blazers open the 2026-27 NBA season Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns — a team they upset in April in the play-in tournament — and if you’re just now tuning in for the start of the regular season, well, there’s a lot you missed.
Let’s catch you up.
What does the starting lineup look like?
The Blazers are expected to unveil a new starting lineup that features a pair of notable All-Star additions: Damian Lillard and Ja Morant. The backcourt duo is joining a fivesome that includes returning starters Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan. It’s a versatile, star-studded lineup that features three All-Stars, a former All-Defensive Second Team selection, one of the best young centers in the NBA and loads of scoring potential.
What about the rotation?
Micah Nori, the Blazers’ first-year head coach, said he plans on using a 10-man rotation to start the season, which will allow the Blazers to capitalize on their depth and versatility. In addition to the starters, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Sidy Cissoko, Robert Williams III and Vit Krejci are expected to open the season in the rotation. The group could change depending on matchups and Williams’ availability — he did not play in back-to-backs last season — and it’s likely that Micah Potter, Branden Carlson and Yang Hansen will occasionally see spot duty, as well.
Wait … the Blazers have a new coach?
The Blazers stabilized their turbulent coaching situation in June, hiring longtime NBA assistant Nori to replace interim coach Tiago Splitter. Nori, who interviewed for head coaching jobs seven times before finally landing his first chance, is entering his 29th season in the league and is universally revered in NBA circles for his positive approach, ability to connect with players and sharp basketball mind. Early indications have been encouraging, as the Blazers players seem to love him and the front office works well with him. The Blazers’ coaching position had been embroiled in controversy, of course, as former coach Chauncey Billups — who was placed on indefinite leave by the NBA — is facing federal felony charges related to money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy for his alleged involvement in a rigged underground poker game.
What style will the Blazers play?
In a stark contrast to recent seasons, the Blazers are constructed around their offense rather than their defense. The roster is unbalanced, featuring five dynamic ball-handlers and playmakers (Lillard, Morant, Avdija, Holiday and Henderson), a solid center combination (Clingan and Williams) and little wing depth. As a result, the team is expected to play fast and free under Nori, bringing lots of speed, passing, cutting and flow. Nori said he hopes to rotate his players liberally in shorter shifts during games — perhaps as short as three minutes — which will enable them to play with maximum effort before giving way to teammates. The interior defense is strong with Clingan and Williams patrolling the middle, Camara remains one of the NBA’s best and most versatile defenders and Cissoko will be asked to guard one-through-five. Holiday is still capable of locking down opposing guards and Avdija has pledged to be more of a two-way threat now that he doesn’t have to serve as the team’s primary ball-handler. But the backcourt combination of Morant and Lillard, while lethal on offense, is not imposing on defense and relatively small (both stand 6-foot-2).
What are the Blazers’ expectations?
Portland defied pundits last season, winning 10 of its last 14 regular season games to secure a spot in the play-in tournament, where it beat the Suns in Phoenix to earn the seventh seed in the Western Conference. The San Antonio Spurs dismissed the Blazers with a gentleman’s sweep in the playoffs, but the strong run — combined with the additions of Lillard and Morant — has raised expectations in Portland. How much? Camara said in training camp that the Blazers’ goal is to win 50 or more games and secure home-court advantage in the postseason. It won’t be easy. The league is as deep and talented as ever, and new rules surrounding the lottery should discourage teams from tanking, meaning most of the league will be chasing wins instead of lottery ping-pong balls late into the season. It seemed like a third of the league had given up last year by the All-Star break.
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Early-season schedule is a doozy
As the Blazers’ new-look lineup works to build chemistry and a first-year coach settles into a new role, the schedule will be challenging. Six of the first eight games — and 12 of the first 17 — will come on the road and include a slew of playoff contenders, including the Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder (twice), Minnesota Timberwolves (twice), New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers (twice).
But what about Dame?
The most uplifting part of opening night figures to be the return of Lillard, the franchise icon who is back after spending two seasons in Milwaukee and one season on the injured list. The nine-time All-Star and franchise leader has not played in an NBA regular-season or playoff game since April 27, 2025, when he suffered a torn left Achilles tendon. And he has not played with Portland since March 22, 2023, six months before it traded him to the Bucks. Lillard showed no ill effects from his injury during the exhibition season, when he played in three of the Blazers’ four games and averaged 17.3 points, 2.7 assists and 22.7 minutes. If anything, he looked like the same old Dame, swishing three-pointers, creating off the dribble, initiating offense and drawing defensive attention. Lillard joked earlier this week that he’s “not an old man,” but also acknowledged that he isn’t likely to play upward of 38 minutes a game like he used to and may even take a night off here and there for rest, most likely on a random back-to-back. His addition not only should help cover up two of the Blazers’ biggest weaknesses last season — three-point shooting and shooting in the clutch — but also inspire a thirsty fan base, which has rarely loved a player more. All the while, Lillard says he intends to play with more “joy” than ever.
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