JaMorant

Preseason question: The comeback starts now? It probably needs to if the old Ja, the one that could leap tall shot blockers in a single bound, has any hope of returning. The Trail Blazers are betting that he’s in there, somewhere, but it was hardly a massive wager. Portland gave up only two rotation players for Morant over the offseason, and new coach Micah Nori has drawn some subtle yet firm lines regarding Ja’s place in the grand scheme, including telling The Athletic that starting him next to Damian Lillard “doesn’t make sense.” Does that mean Morant will wind up playing more with the second unit? Would Nori really bench the former MVP candidate in crunch time? There’s a lot to figure out—including whether the lithe guard can stay healthy enough to make the questions about his fit in the rotation matter.