The Blazers backcourt started at Mid Majors in college, won rookie of the year, and air now paired up.
Just like when they (still) had Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as their guards, the Blazers are set to have an all-mid-major backcourt. Lillard was famously a lottery pick out of Weber State who went on to win rookie of the year after coming in with little fanfare. Morant was a second pick seven years ago out of Murray State and went on to win rookie of the year as well. Slam dunking his way onto the highlight reels, YouTube feeds, and social media.
Morant gets it done with raw athleticism and quickness. Lillard is more of a sniper from the outside, was sneaky athletic in his younger years, and uses his great handle to freeze defenders. While Morant has said in recent years he doesn't want to dunk anymore, he's always a top-five play waiting to happen. When he doesn't get all the way to the bucket, he's got a great floater as well.
Lillard's low reliance on athleticism is probably why there's optimism he can bounce back from his Achilles tendon tear.
While they've both been high octane since college, they are immediately one of the league's most undersized backcourts. While Morant has been known for a spectacular weakside block because of his vertical, neither of the guards has ever been known as a stopper. That makes keeping Jrue Holiday in the rotation even more vital. And there's a pair of shot-blocking centers in the backline in Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III.
What made Morant and Lillard even more special ever since college is that their games both have a healthy dose of flair and magic. Now they'll have to mesh their games together for the greater good of the team. Both have their share of regular-season and postseason clutch shots and game winners. That could make the duo even more dynamic and dangerous down the stretch. At the end of a game, and hopefully for the Blazers into the postseason as well.
Just like the McCollum pairing before, Lillard has shown he can make it work. An important piece will be the development of Clingan, because Lillard's previous backcourt mate didn't ascend until LaMarcus Aldridge left the team. A balanced roster with a viable big man on offense could be a dangerous combination. Don't forget All-Star Deni Avdija is still on the team as well. The team could have hoped for more coaching continuity or security. There was a coaching change, and Micah Nori's contract is year-to-year, which doesn't signal stability. All the pieces are there; now they'll have to fit.
