Portland Trail Blazers: News, Scores, Stats, Headlines, Injury Updates & More

Lillard a ‘big part’ of Trail Blazers’ rotation

Noah Rubin breaks down Damian Lillard’s return to Portland, dropping 25 points against the Suns, and how the structure of the rotation may affect the fantasy value around the Trail Blazers.

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Rotoworld Player News

Chris Youngblood

POR Guard #3

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Chris Youngblood (ankle) and Branden Carlson (concussion protocol) are out for Friday’s game against the Kings.

The continued absences of Youngblood and Carlson will not affect fantasy basketball, as neither is guaranteed rotation minutes when healthy.
Scoot Henderson

POR Guard #00

Scoot Henderson accounted for 15 points (7-of-14 FGs), two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one three-pointer in Wednesday’s win over the Suns.

Among the four guards in Portland’s rotation, Henderson (19 minutes) played the least on Wednesday. He played nine of those minutes after halftime, while starters Ja Morant and Damian Lillard and reserve Jrue Holiday (8/4/1/2) logged between seven and nine minutes each. While Henderson having a role won’t be an issue for him, his playing time might be, especially against tougher opponents.
Donovan Clingan

POR Center #23

Donovan Clingan finished Wednesday’s win over the Suns with 11 points (4-of-9 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), seven rebounds, two assists and two three-pointers.

While Clingan’s shot attempts appeared to take a hit during the preseason, they didn’t in Wednesday’s season opener. The 7-foot-2 center took nine shots against the Suns, a respectable output given the presence of Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija in the Blazers’ starting lineup. Clingan recorded no defensive stats against Phoenix, but he hit 2-of-4 shots from beyond the arc. Clingan should be a solid option for fantasy managers all season, especially in roster builds punting free-throw percentage.
Deni Avdija

POR Forward #8

Deni Avdija amassed 18 points (7-of-16 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Suns.

Due to an ankle injury, Avdija was a game-time decision on Wednesday. Cleared to play an hour before tip-off, he started and logged 23 minutes. With the Trail Blazers winning by over 40 points, Avdija didn’t have to extend himself in the season opener. He led the team with 16 shot attempts, a positive development given Damian Lillard and Ja Morant were also in the Blazers’ starting lineup.
Ja Morant

POR Guard #1

Ja Morant notched 14 points (6-of-8 FGs), five rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Suns.

As expected, the Trail Blazers started Wednesday with Morant and Damian Lillard in the backcourt. The Suns, who fell behind 17-0, weren’t the best test of the duo’s defense, but they played well. Morant committed just one turnover and looked comfortable running the show. Even with the modest point tally, this was an excellent opening night for Morant as he looks to get his career back on track in Portland.
Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

Damian Lillard produced 25 points (7-of-12 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), three rebounds, six assists, one steal and six three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Suns.

Lillard and the Trail Blazers could not have hoped for a better opener, as Portland scored the first 17 points and never looked back. In his first appearance in a Trail Blazers uniform since March 22, 2023, Lillard shot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. With Portland winning in a rout, the veteran guard played just 24 minutes and saw no action in the fourth quarter. For fantasy managers who may have harbored any questions about Lillard’s potential this season, Wednesday night was a good start.
Toumani Camara

POR Forward #33

Toumani Camara accounted for 18 points (6-of-9 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, three assists and four three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Suns.

With the Trail Blazers starting a backcourt of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard, Camara’s defensive ability takes on added importance this season. He didn’t record any defensive stats against the Suns, but the former second-round pick had an excellent night offensively. Camara shot 66.7 percent from the field and made four of his seven three-point attempts.
Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

Trail Blazers will start Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan against the Suns on Wednesday.

Lillard will be back on the floor for the first time in over a year after missing all of last season with an Achilles injury. He’ll also be back in a Trail Blazers uniform for the first time since the 2022-23 season. Lillard will start alongside Morant, Avdija, Camara and Clingan.
Micah Potter

POR Center #9

Micah Potter (illness) is available for Wednesday’s game against the Suns.

Potter has been dealing with an illness, but was trending in the right direction today and has been ruled in for matchup with the Suns. As merely a depth option for the Trail Blazers, Potter is unlikely to play significant minutes Wednesday.
Deni Avdija

POR Forward #8

Deni Avdija (ankle) will start against Suns.

Deni will give it a go and start in the Blazers first game of the season. He’s looking to build upon his All-Star season last year and lead the Blazers back to the playoffs.