Lillard scores 15 in return to Trail Blazers as Morant makes team debut

The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Golden State Warriors 123-118 in a preseason game on October 7. Damian Lillard, returning from an Achilles injury, scored 15 points in 19 minutes. Ja Morant, who joined the team this season, finished with 8 points and 5 assists in his Trail Blazers debut. Deni Avdija led the team with 23 points.

Lillard played for the Trail Blazers for a long time before leaving the team and later returning to his former club. Micah Nori is the team's head coach this season. His predecessor, Tiago Splitter, served as interim coach and this season became head coach of the Chicago Bulls.

Lillard and Morant are both guards who create offense with the ball in their hands. Guards start the offense and create movement for teammates through dribbling and playmaking. When two of them are on the court together, the question becomes how to divide ball possession and offensive decision-making.

The numbers from this game show that Lillard handled the scoring while Morant handled the playmaking. The split between points and assists cannot be settled in one game, but the early setup offers a clue to how roles may be divided going forward.

Using two guards affects not only the distribution of offensive time but also defensive roles. Who stops the opponent's primary playmaker and who takes on the work of bringing the ball up directly affects team stability.

Lillard, coming back from injury, is expected to be used with rest breaks while his minutes are limited. During that stretch, Morant may run the offense for longer periods. As Lillard's minutes increase, how the two divide the offense will be a key point to watch.

The NBA preseason is the period when teams make final preparations before the regular season. Playing game action lets teams confirm players' condition and roles before official games, which helps guide decisions on how to use key players. It serves both to regain game sharpness and to test lineup combinations.

Returning from an Achilles rupture requires a recovery period and gradual increases in workload, following a serious injury. The process involves checking a player's physical condition while limiting time on the court.

Through preseason games, the key question will be how the division of roles between the two guards settles. For the Trail Blazers, this game was the first step in finding the team's offensive identity this season.

Background

Lillard played for the Trail Blazers for a long time, left the team once, and then returned to his former club. Micah Nori is head coach this season. His predecessor, Tiago Splitter, served as interim coach and this season became head coach of the Chicago Bulls.

Basketball Press view

For the Trail Blazers, seeing Lillard and Morant share the same game is the first real clue to the team's offense this season. Both are ball-dominant players, so the key question is which of them will take control of the offense. What to watch is how the split between scoring and playmaking seen in the debut will change.

Translated from the Japanese article by the Basketball Press editors. AI is used to assist in translation.