Toumani Camara is Forcing the Issue to Start for Trail Blazers

Out of Portland's young players, Camara has been the most impressive through three preseason games.

📸: Alika Jenner, Getty Images

📍 PORTLAND, Ore. — Late last season, just before he was shut down for the remainder of his rookie year with a rib injury, Toumani Camara was honest about what he needed to work on.

Coming over from Phoenix as a secondary piece of the Damian Lillard trade, Camara forced his way into the Trail Blazers’ starting lineup for most of the year by making a name for himself as a tough, versatile defender. After a late February loss to Miami in which he had 17 points, one off his career high, he admitted he had a long way to go on the other end of the floor.

“One thing I hate the most about who I am right now is sometimes being a liability offensively,” he said then. “Not a liability in that I can’t play on offense, I just feel like in our system, we have great players who have different strengths. So if I’m on the court when there’s critical decisions, when we need a three or we need a shot, I take a lot of pride in being able to stay on the court. That’s where I’m really trying to find myself, in being able to stay out there and not being a guy who’s just in for defense.”

Through three preseason games in his second season, not only has Camara been much more consistent on the offensive end, he has arguably been the Blazers’ best overall player. And although he wasn’t projected to start coming into training camp, he’s making it very difficult for Chauncey Billups to keep him out of the lineup on opening night, injuries or not.

“Tou had a great summer,” Billups said before Wednesday’s 111-100 win over the German team Ratiopharm Ulm. “I’m surprised at the jump that he made, considering how much of the summer he missed [with the rib injury]. Offensively, he’s a lot more confident. He’s a lot more balanced on his shot. His passing and playmaking have been better. He’s taking more charges than anybody in camp. He does all those things, that’s just who he is. I’ve been very happy with Toumani’s progress.”

Camara’s three preseason games so far: 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range and getting to the free-throw line eight times in last Friday’s loss to the Clippers in Seattle; 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting in Sunday’s win over Sacramento; and a 17-point, 10-rebound, four-assist performance against Ulm.

For most of last season, Camara earned minutes by hounding and annoying opposing offensive players, building a reputation as an irritant. Whatever the Blazers got from him on offense was a bonus. That doesn’t appear to be the case early on in his second season.

“I think my shooting has gotten way better,” Camara told me after the game on Wednesday. “My vision has gotten better. I got more mature on that end.”

With Anfernee Simons missing all of preseason so far with ankle soreness and Shaedon Sharpe out for the beginning of the season with a shoulder injury, Camara has seen extended run with the starters. Simons is expected to be back for opening night (and could potentially play in Friday’s preseason finale against Utah), and Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant are expected to start at the two forward spots.

Scoot Henderson has started at point guard with Simons out and could start alongside him in the backcourt to open the season. But Henderson has been up-and-down in the preseason, struggling greatly in the opening game against the Clippers but looking much better against Ulm. Camara’s versatility has allowed him to play two through four in the preseason, so it’s conceivable Billups could go with an opening-night starting lineup of Simons, Camara, Avdija, Grant and Deandre Ayton.

Camara has been too good for that not to happen.

“I’m building confidence with my teammates and coaches,” he said. “I think they trust me a lot more than last year in similar situations. I’ve been able to facilitate and make plays for others and get to the rim and create fouls.”