Micah Nori Likely To Start Damian Lillard, Ja Morant Despite It 'Not Making Sense'
Damian Lillard expects to start with Ja Morant, but coach Micah Nori says the Blazers still must resolve a crowded backcourt.
- The Portland Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori faces a lineup dilemma after Damian Lillard said he expects to start alongside Ja Morant and Deni Avdija, though Nori expressed hesitation about the pairing.
- Rookie head coach Micah Nori must balance strategic deployment against managing a front office that likely didn't envision its $40 million player coming off the bench while operating on a one-year contract.
- Starting Lillard and Morant would create the NBA's worst defensive backcourt while cramping the floor for Avdija, whereas Holiday offers a more balanced defensive option at the position.
- Ahead of Wednesday's exhibition opener against the Golden State Warriors, Nori said he "probably" will start Lillard and Morant, stating, "It's not set in stone, but probably, because I'm leaning toward wanting to see what it looks like."
- Managing ego-driven lineups remains delicate; Darvin Ham eventually benched Westbrook for the Los Angeles Lakers after poor results, a precedent Nori must consider as he navigates similar roster tensions.
11 Articles
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Micah Nori Likely To Start Damian Lillard, Ja Morant Despite It 'Not Making Sense'
Portland Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori knows he has some decisions to make with who starts in his backcourt. Nori said it doesn't make sense to start both Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, but that he's probably leaning that way anyway. "It's not set in stone, but probably, because I'm leaning toward wanting to see what it looks like," Nori said. "And ... I don't want to start a fire before I need to." Lillard previously said he believes that both …
One is the face of the franchise and is ready to return to the field after a year and a half of stop for injury, the other is a blow of the summer market and in Portland would like to relaunch a career derailed in the last seasons. Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, however, beyond the indisputable talent they have do not seem very compatible and one of the two could be forced to start from the bench in the new version of the team now coached by Mica…
Western Notes: Morant, Lillard, Warriors, Jackson, Simmons
Damian Lillard raised some eyebrows early in training camp when he said that he expects to start alongside Ja Morant in the Trail Blazers’ backcourt this fall. As Jason Quick of The Athletic writes, head coach Micah Nori hasn’t set his lineup in stone yet and recognizes that it would probably make more sense to […]
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