Blazers Breakout Star Voted to All-Defensive First Team

James Brizuela | Apr 16, 2025

Apr 6, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) shoots against San Antonio Spurs center Bismack Biyombo (18) during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers entered this past season as one of the worst teams in the NBA on paper. While they didn’t make the playoffs as expected, they did surpass expectations still, finishing as the 12th seed and just three games out of the Play-In Tournament.

A big reason for their surprise improvement from last season’s 15th-place finish is an improved defense. One player who stood out for the team on that end was Toumani Camara.

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The six-foot-eight wing stood out so much on the defensive end, that NBA columnist John Hollinger has officially voted him for All-Defensive First Team.

“Camara was a committed pain-in-the-tuckus with length and tenacity, one who led the league in offensive fouls drawn and was the go-to stopper for a Portland squad that defended at an elite level in the second half of the season,” he said in his article on The Athletic.

In his second NBA season, he developed into a premier perimeter stopper, defending the best player on opposing teams. With big man Donovan Clingan defending the rim behind him, Camara has a chance to be an elite, aggressive perimeter defender for a long time.

He ranked tied for fifth in the NBA in steals with 1.5, and also added 0.6 steals, which combined with his 38% shooting from beyond the arc, makes him an ideal three-and-D wing for the future. If he can continue to develop on the offensive end, Camara could become an above starter for a long time.

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Camara also showed his ability to be consistent and stay healthy, leading the team both in games played and games started with 78 a piece. Besides Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant, Camara was the only player who started every game he played.

An argument can be made that Camara was the team’s most valuable player based on the stats. He was just seventh on the team in scoring but surpassed double digits with 11.3. 

He also added a solid 5.8 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game, and of course, he was the team’s top defender. He also tied with Simons for the team lead in minutes per game with 32.7. 

Clearly, in just his second season, Toumani Camara is already a huge part of the Trail Blazers’ future, and his development over the next few seasons will be fun to watch as a solid all-around role player and potential above-average starter on a championship contender.

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.