Exploring the Blazers’ Best Potential Lineups

The Portland Trail Blazers will enter the 2025 regular season with major changes to the roster. If they hope to improve on their 36-victory mark from last year they’re going to have to find new and interesting combinations, first in the starting lineup then in major bench roles.

What that might look like forms the core of today’s Blazer’s Edge Mailbag question.

We all know about the additions and subtractions this summer. With Jrue and Yang in place now and Anfernee Simons not clogging up so many minutes what do you think is the actual starting lineup? If you also get a feeling about other major players I’d like to hear it but I want to know who starts.

I’m not sure if your mom named you after a car or if I shouldn’t feed you after midnight, but I’ll take a shot.

The safe answer is simple: Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan. I’d say that’s one of the more likely starting combinations coming out of training camp.

I like the defensive potential of that unit. I’m not in love with the offense. Clingan is a sore thumb. He needs to be in there for rebounding and lane defense. I don’t think the Blazers get away without a bigger center in their baseline group. There’s just not enough size or board work otherwise.

The second unit then reads: Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, Kris Murray, Jerami Grant, Yang Hansen. I don’t see those five ever playing together. Head Coach Chauncey Billups will keep 2-3 starters in and shuffle the reserves through in mix-and-match combos.

All in all, it’s a reasonable amount of depth. Portland won’t set the world on fire but they’ll not be ashamed either.

That doesn’t mean they have to stick to the practical order, though. I think the more interesting lineup might be a “four minutes of hell” combination of Henderson, Sharpe, Avdija, Camara, and Grant. You could also substitute Holiday for one of the guard positions. You have nearly complete defensive interchangeability and, just as crucially, at least average three-point shooting at nearly every position. There’s plenty of ball handling. Anybody in that lineup can run out as well. Constant motion and high pace could make up for the lack of a true big man.

If Yang Hansen develops, I’d be excited to see Yang, Grant, Camara, Avdija, and Holiday get some run. Four players in that lineup can play on ball. Everybody is also comfortable playing off. Plus the four smaller defenders can help Yang’s lack of mobility.

I’m not sure there’s a completely right answer to this lineup question. The Blazers certainly have interesting possibilities, though, with more opportunities for interlocking and overlapping than they have the past few seasons.

What about all of you, though? What do you see Portland’s starting lineup being? Which combinations intrigue or excite you most? Share in the comments section below.

Thanks for the question too! You can always send yours to blazersub@gmail.com and we’ll answer as many as possible!