Do the Blazers Have an Overcrowded Backcourt Problem?

The Blazers have four solid point guards, but all of them come with varying degrees of challenges.

Holiday is 36 years old and still has the ability to be one of the best guard defenders in the league. Holiday missed 29 games last season due to injury, so Portland should expect him to miss some time throughout the year. He hasn't played in 70 games since the 2017-18 season, so having contingency plans for him to be injured once again might be a smart idea.

Lillard is also 36 years old and is coming off a torn Achilles during the 2025 playoffs. He has 900 career games under his belt, and the Blazers don't know exactly how he'll respond after his injury. It's safe to say Portland is not fully expecting Lillard to be the player he was before his injury, but the Blazers' depth makes that okay.

Morant is also someone who has had injury issues in the past, even though he is only 26 years old. Morant has only played in 79 games since the 2023-24 campaign. He has not played in 70 games in any of his seven seasons, so it's safe to assume that he could also miss some time during the season.

As for Henderson, he's coming off of a season in which he only played in 30 games due to a hamstring tear that he suffered in Sept. 2025. Henderson returned to the court in February, mostly in a role off of the bench. The Blazers want to see what they have in him, so he should also carve out a considerable role with the team.

A Good Problem to Have

If all four Blazers guards are healthy, then there could be a reason their crowdedness could become an issue. However, there is a reason why the team is building its roster like this.

The Blazers are doing their best to ensure their backcourt can stay healthy throughout a long and arduous season. They want to be able to give Lillard or Holiday an off night if they are sore, at least in the early parts of the year. Having Morant and Henderson ensures there will be a high-level point guard or two on the floor at all times.

The Blazers will likely have Lillard and Morant start with Holiday and Henderson coming off of the bench. Depending on matchups, Nori could make a decision to have three guards out there in closing lineups, especially Holiday for defensive purposes. However, it will be difficult to feature three of them since Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara will also likely see the court to end games.

It's hard to imagine head coach Micah Nori playing three at once, but it shouldn't be out of the realm of possibility. Ultimately, this is a better problem to have than having too many injuries.

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