The Portland Trail Blazers have created one of the NBA’s biggest storylines by acquiring Ja Morant in a stunning trade, but new head coach Micah Nori isn’t worried about how his crowded backcourt will survive. In fact, he thinks Ja Morant could even accept a lesser, if not a bench, role to give the Blazers the best chance to win.
Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Nori said he trusts Morant to embrace whatever role his team asks of him.
“I take people at their word. If you say something, and it comes to that point, I’ll just remind you, ‘Hey, you said you didn’t care.’ But more importantly, I really believe guys like Ja, Dame, and Jrue, who’ve been through it and been around the league, just want to win. Winning is the most important thing. If putting yourself in the best position to win means coming off the bench instead of starting, so be it.”
“As long as you’re getting your minutes, it’s manageable. To your point, we’ve got four spots from the one through the four. We can play small. We can mix things up. Obviously, when you talk about Klingan and Robert at the five, they’ll handle the majority of those minutes. But everybody is going to get their opportunities.”
“We’ll be able to play hard, put pressure on teams, and expend a lot of energy early. Hopefully, guys play hard enough that they need a breather, come out, and then go back in fresh. If we can get everyone giving us 28 to 32 really good minutes, we’ll be in a great spot.”
These comments come after Morant indicated that he isn’t focused on whether he starts or comes off the bench after his massive move from the Memphis Grizzlies. For a player who started 325 out of his 327 games, the thought of coming off the bench would be a massive shift. But still, Nori believes that winning will outweigh personnel decisions.
The veteran trio of Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, and Damian Lillard gives Portland one of the deepest guard rotations in the NBA. Add in Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, and the Blazers have more talent than starting spots.
And that means someone will have to sacrifice. But the head coach isn’t too worried about that.
That thought process reflects a growing trend around the league, where coaches put more emphasis on closing lineups over starting lineups. Many teams want to have fresh playmakers for all 48 minutes.
The biggest question still remains around Ja Morant.
The former All-NBA guard comes to Portland after a rough three seasons, during which he has played just 79 games due to injuries and suspensions. That was one of the reasons why the Grizzlies ultimately decided to move on from him despite his superstar talent.
When healthy, Morant is arguably the most explosive guard in the league. His athleticism, rim pressure, and playmaking instantly boost the Blazers’ ceiling.
The challenge would be to find enough minutes for everyone. Lillard returns as the franchise icon, Holiday is one of the NBA’s best defensive guards, Sharpe has all the makings of a future star, and Henderson is a long-term investment.
That logjam has given rise to rumors that Morant could become one of the highest-profile sixth men in NBA history. If Morant truly is ready to accept any role, it could eliminate the Blazers’ biggest concern heading into the season.
