Blazers Get Weird, Start Lillard and Henderson Together Against Jazz

The Portland Trail Blazers are officially rolling out the Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson backcourt experiment on Saturday against the Utah Jazz.

Starting two point guards who desperately need the ball to function is certainly a choice. Throw in Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and rookie big man Donovan Clingan, and you have a starting five that looks like it was generated by a broken fantasy basketball algorithm.

Portland is sitting at a surprising 3-1 to start the season, which means they have earned the right to get a little weird. Lillard has been his usual steady self, averaging 21.7 points and 5.8 assists over his last 25 games.

Meanwhile, Henderson is healthy and getting the starting nod, creating a backcourt pairing that is the basketball equivalent of trying to drive two cars at the same time. Both guys want to initiate the offense, and neither is exactly going to lock down the perimeter on the other end of the floor.

Luckily for Portland, they are facing a Utah Jazz team that is currently 1-4 and looks fully committed to the draft lottery sweepstakes. If there was ever a night to test out a chaotic defensive backcourt, it is against a team that is already struggling to score.

For anyone staring at player props or setting daily fantasy lineups, this usage rate split is a complete mystery. The real actionable piece of this news is Clingan getting the start at center, giving the rookie a massive opportunity to clean up the glass against a weak Utah frontcourt.

We will see if this dual-point-guard setup is a permanent rotation shift or just a Saturday night fever dream in Salt Lake City. If it blows up in their faces, expect the Blazers to shuffle the deck again before they head to Denver to play the Nuggets on Tuesday.