Who Will Be the Trail Blazers’ New Energy Guy?

The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired plenty of exciting players over the last month. Damian Lillard, Yang Hansen, and Jrue Holiday will give Portland a more decorated, distinguished roster than they’ve had for the last three years.

During this influx, the Blazers have also let some players go. One of those farewells stands at the center of this brief, pointed question from the Blazer’s Edge Mailbag.

Hey Big D,

Jabari was our energy guy off the bench last year. With him gone, who is our energizer bunny?

Daryl

Since Jabari Walker’s departure got lost in the shuffle during Guardapalooza and Yang Mania, let’s take a moment to recognize him.

For three years Walker provided effort and the hustle you mention. In 2023-24 he played a key role off the bench for most of the season, also starting 23 games. He rebounded at a starter level per-possession and per-minute and had a respectable field goal percentage. In 2024-25 his role diminished but his per-possession and per-minute scoring increased and his shooting percentages skyrocketed. He shot 51.5% from the field and a surprising 38.9% from the three-point arc last year. That’s more than anyone could ask.

Walker’s issue was that he wasn’t really quick and rangy enough to play power forward but he was too small to play center, particularly on the defensive end. Constant mismatches and the ascent of Toumani Camara conspired against him staying in Portland. But you know what? Dude was a player. He carved out a place in this league and did well at all the things that depended on his own personal talent and effort. The Philadelphia 76ers will probably agree.

Who will replace Walker in that role? The answer to that question is nobody, or actually, everybody.

Jabari provided important leadership, becoming a template for the other young, inexperienced players on the roster. He led the charge by playing hard and staying ready. The Blazers needed that example during their descent and rebuilding phases.

If the current Blazers still need that kind of leadership from a given player, particularly one who wouldn’t get big minutes otherwise and is playing because his effort contrasts with the rest of the squad, they’re in trouble.

One of the brilliant things about the Clyde Drexler Era Blazers was how much they learned from each other. The team was smooth, almost nonchalant, until Jerome Kersey came along. He lit a fire under everyone. All of a sudden the starters were charging up and down the floor like drag racing semi trucks. Kersey (and later Buck Williams) also set an example on defense which Drexler and Terry Porter—offense-heavy players early in their careers—adopted. By the time they ascended to the NBA elite, Portland’s starting guards were regarded as credible defenders, the frontcourt near-invincible.

The Blazers need the same thing now. Given their athleticism Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe should be the first players out there hustling on every play like Jabari did. Deni Avdija should begin taking as much pride in his defensive accomplishments as his floor-running and scoring outbursts. Yang Hansen needs to grow up on a team where everybody gives everything they can at all times, valuing his own rotations on defense as much as his glittery passing on the other end.

The Blazers still have a couple sterling examples of defensive play and hustle in Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday. That’s part of the reason Walker was expendable. But Toumani can’t do everything. While Jrue’s spirit will be willing, the flesh may be weak at this stage of his career. Unless something reverses he’s not going to be an every-night anchor. Portland’s young players can’t view Camara and Holiday as substitutes for their own work. They need to grab onto the ladder rungs those two hustle players provide and begin to climb.

If that happens, the team won’t need Jabari Walker quite as much as they used to. If it doesn’t, no amount of Jabaris will suffice. That explains why he’s in Philadelphia right now, also why his teammates still have work ahead of them as they play without him.

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