Wrapping Up Trail Blazers Training Camp From Santa Barbara
Notes and thoughts from the first week of camp.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — As you all know, I've been in Santa Barbara this week covering Trail Blazers training camp on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. With the team taking Friday off, I'm heading back to Portland today, but here are a few stray thoughts, notes and observations from my time in California.
Just about every player has used some variation of the word "fast" when asked for their first impressions of playing with Scoot Henderson, but Matisse Thybulle called out his defense as well. "The thing that's been coolest to see is when we've been in more situational scrimmage play, where teams need stops, Scoot has been the guy coming up with a lot of the stops," he said. "A lot of times, when a guy comes in as a scorer everyone talks about how fast you are. But that athleticism on the defensive end has been huge."
Out of the non-Scoot rookies, the one I've heard the most buzz about is Toumani Camara, who came over from Phoenix as part of the Damian Lillard trade after being the No. 52 overall pick in the draft in June. Chauncey Billups singled him out when I asked about the rookies, and I've also heard from other front-office and coaching staff members that he's had a really good camp and has a legitimate shot to earn minutes when the season starts.
"I've been very impressed by Toumani," Billups said on Wednesday. "He's just a basketball player, man. He's in the right places. Without talking to him, our very first scrimmage he was picking up Ant full court. He's got a great feel about him and a toughness about him.
If we're handicapping the battle for the 14th roster spot among the non-guaranteed camp guys, my current read is that Duop Reath and Justin Minaya are in the strongest position to make the team. I don't expect them to carry 15, to keep roster flexibility going into the season for future trades.
Thybulle had praise for both Camara and Reath: "You see guys come over from overseas and they just know how to play basketball. Guys in AAU are so used to being the star and dribbling the air out of the ball. When you get these dudes from overseas, these international players just know how to play within themselves."
Billups said Shaedon Sharpe is "light-years ahead" of where he was a year ago going into his first NBA training camp. "Shae was asking me questions last season, if this guy could shoot, and it was one of the best shooters in the league. He had no understanding. Didn't watch a lot of NBA basketball. Now, he's the one talking on the back line of the defense and telling Scoot to sink when he's out of position. He's light-years ahead of where he was last year. He's aggressive on the offensive end, he's attacking off the dribble, it's almost like he grew two years in one."
I'm gone from Santa Barbara now, but the team is staying down there for one more day and will return to Portland on Saturday. The public's first opportunity to see the new-look Blazers will be at Fan Fest on Sunday afternoon, followed by preseason games on Tuesday and Thursday.