With Shaedon Sharpe sidelined, Portland pivots to a high-octane guard rotation. Coach Micah Nori bets on Damian Lillard and Ja Morant to transform roster congestion into dominance.
The Portland Trail Blazers' backcourt was supposed to be a problem the front office had to solve. On media day Monday, coach Micah Nori made the case that it's the solution.
Shaedon Sharpe tore the meniscus in his right knee during an offseason workout and is supposed to miss significant time: about six months.
That timeline would keep him out until after the All-Star break. He averaged a career-high 20.8 points in 50 games last season.
General manager Joe Cronin opened his news conference by saying Sharpe is the only player on the roster who isn't healthy.
Nori is not taking the loss as a time to panic.
He said the Blazers still have nine or 10 players who can share the floor, even without Shapre. Nori expects Damian Lillard and Ja Morant to play together often.
Nori pointed out short shifts as the ideal rotational strategy. He mentioned that the modern game calls for players to work in stints of six to eight minutes rather than 10 or a full quarter.
The depth at guard makes it possible. Portland enters the season with Morant, Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson all in the mix. Nori also said that Morant isn't arriving to take 20 or more shots a night, describing the group as willing passers.
Cronin acknowledged that Portland is short-staffed at the forward and wing positions. Holiday will likely play there at times. Guard depth can cover a lot, but it is no substitute for size and length.
Defense is the open question for a backcourt built around Lillard and Morant.
How would Lillard and Morant — historically below-average defenders — fare on the defensive side of the ball while on the court together?
It will be the ultimate test of whether Nori and Cronin's plan works.
Nori repeatedly stressed keeping the defensive intensity the group set last season. That group broke a five-year playoff drought.
He did not, however, commit to picking up opponents 94 feet the same way.
Training camp runs Tuesday through Friday, and the Blazers play four preseason games from Oct. 7-16.
Those games will show whether the extra guards make the rotation deep or just more crowded. Look for the plus-minus in the box score and the eye test when Morant and Lillard are on the court defensively.
