{
  "id": 11487133,
  "title": "Blazers’ Micah Nori not sold on Damian Lillard-Ja Morant led starting lineup",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/blazers-micah-nori-not-sold-on-damian-lillard-ja-morant-led-starting",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-02T17:18:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/blazers-micah-nori-not-sold-171839262.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Portland Trail Blazers guard Micah Nori is unsure about Damian Lillard and Ja Morant making up the starting lineup, according to The Athletic's Jason Quick. Lillard revealed in training camp that he expected both Morant and himself to be in the starting five, but Nori doesn't seem convinced of that arrangement. Nori believes that Morant and Lillard, both undersized and lackluster defensively, don't form a sensible starting duo. Quick wrote that a more analytically sound option would be to put bigger guard Brandon Holiday in the starting lineup, with either Morant or Lillard coming off the bench. Given the egos of both players, who are both all-stars, asking one of them to sit on the bench can be a delicate and challenging task for Nori, who is a first-year coach with a one-year contract.",
  "summary": "When the Portland Trail Blazers traded for Ja Morant in the offseason , there was excitement that the guard would have a fresh start elsewhere in his career. There were also many questions raised about how a backcourt of him and Damian Lillard would look. Already in training camp, Lillard shared that he would expect both of them to be in the […] The post Blazers’ Micah Nori not sold on Damian…",
  "key_points": [
    "Micah Nori doubts Lillard-Morant as starting lineup",
    "Morant and Lillard undersized, poor defensively",
    "Holiday suggested over Morant/Lillard in starting lineup"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}