Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. Merry “It’s Time To Try Something New” to those who are Trail Blazers fans.
The Trail Blazers need a shakeup, even a minor one. It’s time to change the starting lineup. Again.
The Blazers most recent starting lineup of Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant, and DeAndre Ayton has been outscored by a staggering 25.6 points per 100 possessions over their last eight games together. That’s the worst performance of any big-minute lineup in the NBA this season. No 5-man group in the NBA that has played at least 100 minutes together has been that bad. And it’s not close.
It’s time for a change, and the most logical move would be to insert Deni Avdija into the starting lineup in place of Camara. While Avdija has been effective coming off the bench, his playmaking and versatility could provide a much-needed boost to the starting unit.
This isn’t about individual performance - Camara has been Portland’s best defensive player - but rather about finding a combination that works. In a season focused on rebuilding, it’s crucial to experiment and gather data on different lineup combinations.
This swap isn’t likely to fix all the Blazers woes. That part comes later with larger structural changes. But for now, we’ve seen enough to know the current starting five isn’t good together. Why not switch things up and find out a new group isn’t any good either. What’s the worst that could happen? You’ll get outscored by 20+ points every night?
Oh well. Merry Christmas.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Blazers’ lineup issues, tune into the Locked On Blazers podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Blazers Podcast:
• Scoot Henderson’s development and role on the team
• Jerami Grant’s recent shooting slump
• A loss to the Dallas Mavericks
