The Portland Trail Blazers are one of five remaining unbeaten Western Conference teams, set to take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, another member of that undefeated bunch.
Los Angeles enters Tuesday’s matchup with the No. 1 scoring offense (128.0) in the NBA, with Portland trailing at No. 2 (126.0 PPG).
Through the first handful of games, Lakers star Luka Doncic leads the league in scoring, averaging 34.3 points per game to pair with 7.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists. Micah Nori will be tasked with drawing up a sufficient defensive gameplan to slow down one of the league’s top players, but how will the Blazers manage to limit Doncic in game No. 3?
Blazers’ Backcourt Defensive Woes Form Tough Pairing Against Lakers
Portland has been led by the high-power guard pairing of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant on the offensive end. Lillard is leading the team in scoring, averaging 22.0 points through the first two contests, pairing nicely alongside Morant who leads the team with 15 total assists. The tandem drastically elevates the team offensively, but will be limited on the defensive end against a bigger guard like Doncic.
Doncic has tallied career averages of 29.4 points and 7.4 assists over 11 games against Morant, numbers that jump to 31.8 points and 7.6 assists over 17 career games against Lillard. Neither Lillard or Morant are likely to draw the individual assignment over Doncic, though the matchup raises problems for a defensive rotation that relies heavily on its interior strength.
Blazers Need to Lean on Toumani Camara to Slow Doncic, Lakers for Portland
Nori will likely draw up plenty of double opportunities against a player of Doncic’s caliber, but an individual cover from Toumani Camara could help Portland limit the six-time All-NBA selection on Tuesday. Camara, a former All-Defensive selection in 2024-25, will be called on to slow Doncic from the perimeter.
Camara finished each of the last two seasons with 2.6 defensive win shares (DWS) or better, ranked fourth in the NBA in win shares per 48 minutes (.358) so far this season. His high motor on the defensive end, paired with elite physical tools, make Camara the Blazers’ most ideal matchup for Doncic defensively.
Camara’s Presence on Both Ends of the Floor Could Be X-Factor for Portland
Though his defensive skill set is arguably the top part of his game, Camara is in the midst of an offensive breakout for the Blazers this season. He’s averaging career-highs in scoring and shooting efficiency, tallying 18.5 points while shooting 61.9 percent from the field, connecting on 52.9 percent of his 3-pointers through two games this season.
Should he draw the matchup from Doncic offensively, he could take advantage of the All-Star’s struggles on that end of the floor for another notable offensive showing. Expect Portland to lean on the fourth-year wing a little extra on Tuesday.
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