Blazers' Micah Nori Won't Put Brakes on Ja Morant After Shaky Debut

The Portland Trail Blazers got a good look at both sides of Ja Morant on Wednesday.

His first preseason appearance featured the explosiveness that made him an All-Star, along with enough missed opportunities and careless possessions to give Micah Nori something to think about.

The coach has a few things to fix. Getting Morant to stop attacking isn't one of them.

Morant finished with eight points, five assists, two steals and four turnovers in 19 minutes during Portland's 123-118 victory over the Golden State Warriors. He shot 3-of-8 from the field and missed his only three-point attempt.

The speed was recognizable. The finishing … not so much.

Morant had trouble converting opportunities around the basket, often reaching the paint without much to show for it. Nori acknowledged the rust and timing issues afterward, although he sounded far more concerned with improving the execution than changing Morant's approach.

"When you look back when he was playing at a very high level, not too long ago, he was in the paint like 52 percent of the time," Nori said. "And he got there tonight … it just didn't work out for him."

Nori followed that assessment with a message that should offer Morant some reassurance.

"The one thing we don't want to do is tell him not to go in there. We don't want to deter that mentality."

Those comments carry some weight considering Portland committed 21 turnovers against a shorthanded Golden State team.

Morant accounted for four of them despite playing fewer than 20 minutes, and Nori made no secret of his frustration with the team's ball security.

Still, Portland acquired Morant for his ability to put defenses under pressure.

With Damian Lillard stretching the floor, Deni Avdija creating opportunities and Jrue Holiday providing another experienced ball-handler, Morant gives the Blazers another way to generate offense — even when he isn't the one finishing the possession.

There were encouraging signs elsewhere Wednesday. Lillard scored 15 points and connected on three three-pointers, while Avdija led Portland with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

Morant's health remains another consideration after appearing in only 20 games last season. His explosiveness looked intact in stretches, although maintaining that level of play throughout the regular season presents a much greater challenge.

For Nori, the immediate assignment involves improving Morant's timing and decision-making without turning every aggressive drive into a coaching point.

Portland needs the pressure he creates, even if the preseason opener showed how quickly that pressure can disappear with another turnover.

Morant has built his career on getting where defenders don't want him to go. Nori wants him to keep doing it, and Wednesday gave the coach plenty of evidence that the ability remains.

What happens once he gets there is another matter — and one Portland will need to address long before those mistakes start costing it games.