Ja Morant got the fresh start he was looking for this summer, when the Memphis Grizzlies traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers. He went from franchise face to negative asset very quickly, but he now joins an ascending Blazers team that just went to the playoffs last season.
Morant has had a couple of rough seasons offensively and has not looked anything like the superstar that he was in 2022. He has also dealt with a rash of injuries over the last few years. However, he is healthy, had a strong offseason, and is on a new team, so the hope he is can return to form.
The Blazers have a loaded backcourt and not a ton of minutes to go around, making Morant’s role murky at best right now. There is one possibility that he is open to though.
Ja Morant is open to any role Portland gives him, including coming off the bench
Morant said that he just wants to play ball and is not worried about his role. He will be fine with anything he is given and trusts the coaching staff to figure it out. To his credit, he is saying all of the right things, but it remains to be seen if he will truly buy in.
As training camp opens, new head coach Micah Nori will be tasked with finding the right lineup combinations for the Blazers. He has a lot of talent, which is a good problem to have.
He has four guards in Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Morant that all bring different things to the table. He also has Deni Avdija, who had the best season of his career last year, and needs the ball in his hands.
Morant will likely have to play a different role than he ever did with Grizzlies. He’ll likely have to play off the ball more and will have to improve his shooting in order to do that. He has not shot above 34 percent from three ever and on a Portland team that is in desperate need of shooting, he needs to be able to become at least league average to help the offense.
Having the guidance of Lillard and Holiday, two great veteran presences, should also help Morant see the game differently. Those two are great leaders and will help keep Morant in line and hopefully help him mature as a player.
Morant has the talent to succeed with the Blazers. He just has to improve in some areas and stay healthy. He has the support he needs to bounce back, as Portland showed a clear belief in him by trading for him, despite his rough seasons. A rebound year could be in store.
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