Former Blazers Head Coach Talks Ja Morant and Damian Lillard

Spending three years leading the Portland Trail Blazers during the 90s, P.J. Carlesimo is confident in the organization's newest wrinkles.

Brooklyn Nets head coach P.J. Carlesimo coaches against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter at the Toyota Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NBA veteran head coach and current ESPN analyst P.J. Carlesimo holds an optimistic outlook on the Portland Trail Blazers newest backcourt tandem of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard.

Carlesimo — who landed his first NBA head coaching job with the Blazers from 1994-97, leading Portland to three first-round playoff appearances while compiling an overall record of 137-109 (.557) — touched on Portland’s new pairing, along with its hiring of Micah Nori, in an exclusive interview with NEXTPredict’s Kyle Odegard.

Unlike much of the national media, Carlesimo is rather bullish about Morant and Lillard’s ability to co-exist.

“I don’t think there’s any question,” he told NEXTPredict. “Not that Ja is not capable of adjusting, but Dame is such a smart player. Dame will figure it out. Dame will do whatever it takes for the two of them to excel. And Dame will go out of his way to make sure Ja gets back to being Ja.” 

Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but if Carlesimo is right and the duo flourish, it is the best possible outcome Portland could have hoped for when it traded for Morant in a blockbuster deal back in June. Though still only 27, Morant’s been plagued with injuries, along with off-court drama, in recent seasons, playing in just 79 games the last three years. 

Lillard, on the other hand, is an aging guard coming off a torn achilles. Whether either can resemble their former self is to be determined, but their synergy, according to Carlesimo, rests on Lillard’s shoulders.

“Dame’s game is so good and he’s so smart. He will do whatever he needs to do to still be Dame, and yet at the same time, there’s no bad ego there with Dame,” Carlesimo said. “He will make sure things work out for Ja.”

As for Nori, Carlesimo possesses more familiarity than most regarding the Blazers first-year head coach. The two served as assistants under Jay Triano on the Toronto Raptors during the 2010-11 season, the franchise’s first year without Chris Bosh. He has to have a decent read on Nori’s basketball mind, and considering the Raptors went 22-60 that year, Carlesimo’s witnessed how he manages adversity.

“Micah Nori is a really close friend,” Carlesimo said. “He’s going to do a great job. If they give him the wherewithal, he’s going to surprise people. I’m sure there are a lot of people who aren’t aware how good of a coach he is.”