Damian Lillard Just Put Portland’s New Backcourt on the Clock
· Yahoo Sports
The Portland Trail Blazers now have their clearest indication yet of how their new backcourt will begin the 2026-27 season. Damian Lillard confirmed that he and Ja Morant are expected to start together, giving fans the first real picture of Micah Nori’s vision. Nori still has the final say on the official lineup, but Lillard’s reveal makes Portland’s direction impossible to ignore.
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The biggest question is not whether Lillard and Morant can score. Both have spent their careers proving they can take over a game, create difficult shots and make defenses panic when the ball is in their hands. The more important question is whether they can make one another better without turning every possession into a competition for control.
Portland should allow Morant to set the early tone. He should push the pace, attack the paint and force opposing defenses to react before they are fully organized. That aggressive approach can create the type of broken-floor opportunities Lillard did not always have during his first run in Portland, especially when he was asked to create something out of nothing late in the shot clock.
Lillard’s role should not be reduced, but it should evolve. He can become one of the league’s most dangerous off-ball shooters while still handling major late-game responsibility and running the offense when Morant rests. A defense that loads up on Morant’s drives could give Lillard cleaner catch-and-shoot looks, while a defense that chases Lillard off screens could leave Morant with more room to get downhill.
That is the potential that makes this pairing worth the uncertainty. Portland does not need Lillard to carry every possession, and it does not need Morant to prove he can do everything by himself. It needs both players to recognize that their shared talent can create problems most opponents will not be equipped to solve.
There will be difficult moments. Two talented ball-handlers will occasionally need to work through timing, spacing and the natural frustration that comes with adjusting to a new role. However, Lillard’s early comments suggest he understands that team success matters more than having every answer before camp has fully begun.
The Trail Blazers have a chance to build a backcourt that plays with pace, pressure and intelligence. Morant should be trusted to unleash his athleticism and creativity, while Lillard should be allowed to punish every defense that overcommits. If those roles connect the way they should, Portland will not just have two stars sharing the floor.
It will have a partnership capable of changing the entire direction of the franchise.