Blazers Lean Into Chaos With Lillard-Henderson Starting Lineup

Starting two point guards who both desperately need the basketball is the kind of idea that usually gets a coach fired, but the Portland Trail Blazers are leaning all the way into the chaos.

According to Underdog NBA, Portland is rolling out a bizarre starting five for Saturday's matchup. Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson will share the backcourt, flanked by Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and rookie center Donovan Clingan.

"Underdog NBA: 'Lineup alert: Blazers list starters as Lillard, Henderson, Avdija, Camara, Clingan on Saturday.'"

Portland is somehow sitting at 5-1 and third in the Western Conference after a recent shootout win over Phoenix and a tight loss to the Lakers. That is the kind of early-season record that makes you double-check the standings to make sure you are reading the right year.

Lillard is healthy and still producing at a high level, averaging 22.4 points and 6.2 assists over his last 35 games. Now he has to share the steering wheel with Henderson, who is back in the mix after dealing with an offseason hamstring tear.

Pairing a veteran superstar with a young guard who is still figuring out NBA pacing is a massive gamble. It is like handing the keys to a sports car to a teenager while the owner sits in the passenger seat trying not to grab the wheel.

This creates an absolute headache for anyone looking at the prop markets. Figuring out the usage rate between Lillard and Henderson is a total mystery box, especially since Avdija and Camara are mostly out there to run wind sprints and play defense.

We will find out exactly how this dual-guard experiment looks when they tip off against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. If they can actually share the floor without turning the ball over into the front row, Portland might just be the most confusing threat in the West.