The Challenge for Portland Being Shorthanded

The Portland Trail Blazers' best start in years just ran into its first slice of adversity.

Guard Ja Morant suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in the loss to Memphis on Oct. 29. The team announced that he will miss at least four weeks. He sustained the injury in his first game against his former team, a 124-103 home defeat.

Morant left with 7:46 remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return.

The timing is not ideal for both Morant and the franchise. Morant started the season doing his job efficiently, averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 assists, and settled in as a great counterpart to Damian Lillard in the backcourt.

Portland started 4-1, and the schedule gets tougher from here. Now it has to find what kind of team it is without him penciled in the lineup for the next month.

The Blazers got an early answer on Saturday, beating a less-than-impressive Utah Jazz squad 112-90 on the road. They also earned a win over the Nuggets on Monday. 

Moving forward, expect veterans Lillard and Jrue Holiday to take more responsibility and see more minutes. Portland's hope of producing winning results starts with these two. Both bring a steady, low-turnover brand of ball-handling that stays high-level even with an injury like Morant's.

The third Blazer in that mix is Scoot Henderson. Morant's absence opens up impactful minutes for the fourth-year guard, and how he handles them will matter much more for his future in Portland.

Portland chose not to re-sign Henderson prior to the season starting, making him a restricted free agent in summer 2027. He will be incentivized and motivated to have a stellar campaign for the Blazers this year. 

Lillard, Holiday and Henderson have to handle their new responsibilities consistently. Another backcourt member, Shaedon Sharpe, is out for the next few months. With Morant and Sharpe sidelined, the backcourt depth has less wiggle room.

The positive here is that Portland knows reinforcements are coming. If the Blazers can be a top-tier team in the Western Conference with its current roster, just imagine what it will be with Morant and Sharpe are back. 

All of the sudden, the Blazers could be a real contender. Even with the injury misfortune, this has been a great start for Portland. 

The Blazers are 5-1 and second in the Western Conference standings. That’s about as good as it gets for Blazers fans.