When perusing Portland Trail Blazers highlights and news briefs, two names are bound to come up more than any other: high-flying guard Shaedon Sharpe and Mr. Everything, Deni Avdija. Next to them toils a less-heralded forward, known well in Portland circles but absent from national discussion: Toumani Camara. In his third year, Camara is averaging 12.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 33.8 minutes per game. Those numbers may not grab attention, but a deep work ethic and strong defensive game have made Camara as invaluable to the Blazers in his own way as anyone else, including Sharpe and Avdija.<\/p>\n
Oddly enough, that\u2019s exactly the topic of today\u2019s Blazer\u2019s Edge Mailbag question, though it comes at this issue in reverse. Take a look.<\/p>\n
Why do you hate on Toumani [Camara]? You never mention him without slighting him. You criticize his offensive game. You said he\u2019s not a star. Every year there\u2019s a player who becomes the [scapegoat] and I guess Tou is it this year huh? What does he have to do to get the respect he\u2019s earned?<\/p>\n
Holy misinterpretation, Batman! I love Toumani Camara\u2019s game. Last season I was calling him one of the untouchable backbone pieces for the team, along with Avdija. I didn\u2019t mention anybody else in that category either. Just those two. I don\u2019t know how you can get stronger than that.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not in appropriate to talk about Camara in terms of skills and role, just like every other NBA player on the planet. Both are evident and both help the Blazers.<\/p>\n
Camara\u2019s best characteristic is his dogged determination. You see it as he picks up opposing players full-court on defense, slides into the lane to take charges, and remains active in defensive sets. Other players might give up on plays. Camara is going to do something. It may not always work, but you\u2019re not going to stop him from trying. At the same time, he remains largely under control. Plenty of energy guys stand out, overcommitting or going for big gambles. Camara fits in. He\u2019s not only in range of the play, he\u2019s usually in position for the next one. That\u2019s not just effort, that\u2019s intelligence. Camara plays with the pace of a young player and the vision of a vet. That\u2019s special.<\/p>\n
You can see his integration in the numbers. Camara\u2019s steals, per-game and per-minute, are down this year. So are his deflections. He\u2019s been asked to take on more point-of-attack assignments. He\u2019s not as free to swoop in with help defense, the kind that generates flashy turnover numbers. He\u2019s the handle of the defensive broom now, not the bristles. At the same time, he covers more defensive ground than anybody in the league and ranks fourth in charges drawn this season.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean Camara is an all-around superstar, nor that he\u2019s the best defender in the league. It does mean he\u2019s the exact mortar that the Blazers need, helping cement the bricks around him into a cohesive defensive wall. He\u2019s not a perfect player, but for Portland right now he\u2019s darn close.<\/p>\n
Camara\u2019s offensive game isn\u2019t as far-reaching as his defense. That\u2019s evident and not wrong to say either. Here\u2019s how it works. Both the Blazers AND Camara will be better off if he\u2019s the fourth option in the offense than the second. Things get dicey when Toumani has the ball in his hands with a defender in front of him, expected to make a move or a shot. He can do it; almost all NBA players can. But the list of guys across the league you\u2019d rather have in that situation is extensive. But if you draw the defense off balance then get the ball to Toumani\u2014particularly in the corner\u2014he can stroke a three or cut hard for a layup or dunk. At that point he becomes a serious thorn in the side of the opponent. He\u2019s not solely a catch-and-shoot player, but playing off ball suits him better as an initial position than on.<\/p>\n
Add it all up and you get a player who would have been ideal in the NBA generation just passing\u2014give or take needing to improve his three-point accuracy\u2014and who is going to remain serviceable and welcome in the next one. Since he\u2019s about to turn 26, he\u2019ll have plenty of seasons to show it.<\/p>\n
If the Blazers can continue to build around Camara, he should remain a pillar for them. We\u2019ll end where we started: that\u2019s something you can only say of a couple players on the roster right now. I think that\u2019s high enough, and true enough, praise for anybody.<\/p>\n