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 start Jrue Holiday alongside either Morant or Lillard for defensive purposes.

Still, the first-time head coach, whose contract with Portland is only guaranteed for one season, will have to consider the personalities of his stars, not just their on-court fit. Between them, Morant and Lillard have started 1,225 of 1,227 career games, and it’s unclear how either one would react to becoming a reserve. While Morant told reporters last week that he’d have “no problem” with a bench role, Nori admitted he’s not sure how the former Grizzlies star would truly feel about it.

“On the outside, I think he would handle it great,” Nori told Quick. “On the inside … I don’t know.”

Nori said he’ll “probably” start both Morant and Lillard in the team’s preseason opener on Wednesday. However, insisting that his contract status won’t affect his decision, the Blazers’ coach also told Quick that he doesn’t want to just take the path of least resistance if it’s not the right move for the team.

“What we don’t want is, just because Jrue may not care about starting, saying ‘Well, Jrue will handle it the best, so don’t start him,’” Nori said. “But other than hearing your name called (in introductions), who cares? I’d rather play when it counts: at the end of the game. I’m not worried about the 6-4 basket; I’m more worried about the 112-110 bucket, quite honestly.”

While a Morant/Lillard backcourt might create problems for the Trail Blazers on the defensive end of the court, the duo is optimistic about its offensive fit.

“It’s fun,” Morant said of playing alongside Lillard, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “There’s so much space with Dame out there. Y’all know what type of shooter he is. But it also creates for everybody else. A drive-and-kick, guys gotta go out there and close out. So we’ve both taken an unselfish route to learn each other’s games, but we’ve still got to be us. That’s what it takes. We’ve just got to be super intentional when we have the ball, and then understanding the other guy that’s off.”

We have more from around the Western Conference:

After suggesting early in training camp that three spots in the Warriors’ starting lineup are up for grabs alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green (story via Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area), head coach Steve Kerr tabbed Al Horford, Brandin Podziemski, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg to fill those openings in Sunday’s preseason opener. Kerr isn’t ready to commit to using that same group in the regular season opener but explained that he likes how the trio fits. “Really good size, good play-making,” he said (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of ESPN). “… Spacing from Al. All three of those guys – Al, Yaxel, BP – can shoot the three but also make plays. So it’s a good, well-balanced lineup.”
Brook Lopez became the Clippers’ starting center after Ivica Zubac was traded to Indiana last season, but there’s no guarantee he’ll reclaim that role this fall. Isaiah Jackson, who is back to 100% after tearing his Achilles in November 2024, has been working with L.A.’s first team during training camp and said on Saturday that he thinks he’ll end up starting, per Clippers sideline reporter Ohm Youngmisuk (Twitter links). Although head coach Tyronn Lue hasn’t committed yet to a starter, he said he likes Jackson’s fit alongside point guard Darius Garland, Youngmisuk adds.
Following his three All-Star seasons from 2019-21, Ben Simmons’ reputation took a hit and he faced questions about his drive following a holdout in Philadelphia and several years marred by back issues. However, Kings head coach Doug Christie has spoken glowingly about what Simmons has brought to Sacramento’s camp, praising his leadership and competitiveness, per Frankie Cartoscelli of Sactown Sports. “Nothing I read was true,” Christie said. “I really enjoy being around the kid. He speaks. He enjoys basketball. He loves coaching, and he’s special.”