Ja Morant: ‘Now I get to start over’ with Trail Blazers

# Portland media day

Ja Morant told reporters on Portland's media day (Sept. 28) that joining the Trail Blazers has given him a fresh start and a chance to focus on basketball after difficult seasons in Memphis. "Once media day hits, you know, it's about time to get rolling," he said.

# How teammates reshaped his view

Morant said seeing teammates every day altered his perspective compared with facing them as opponents. He singled out daily routines, personalities, and on-court communication as factors that stood out: "I see them day to day now every day, like how they go in, how they carry their self, the type of personality, what they do on the court and then when we on the court, you know, how they communicate and everything else."

He also said teammates encouraged him to show more of his personality after he initially focused on observing the group: "I came in just trying to, you know, figure everybody else out and, you know, kind of fit in and they ain't like that."

# Playing alongside Damian Lillard

Morant framed Lillard's presence as an opportunity rather than a constraint. He emphasized complementary skill sets: Lillard's shooting range and ability to create off the dribble should open space for Morant to attack. "If I'm driving and somebody has to help, that mean I have a teammate open," Morant said. "If I get a double, I'm pretty sure one of our other guys can score in that situation."

He rejected the notion that Portland has too many ball-dominant players, pointing to unselfishness as the mitigating factor: "I feel like everybody's very unselfish.… It's a lot of other teams wishing they had this many ball handlers."

# Role, expectations and recent context

Morant stressed winning over personal status: "I think winning is the most important thing for me. Whatever role I have to play to get that done, I don't think nobody would be mad after a win." He said the move was needed for him personally because past events in Memphis stayed attached to him: "Because everything that happened over the years pretty much was just stuck with me. But yeah, now I get to, you know, start over."

He enters Portland after limited games over the past three seasons — 44, 35 and 20 respectively — and averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists in 20 games for Memphis last season. With teammates including Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan, Morant said the straightforward goal is to contribute to a team capable of winning: "Every season important for me. For me it's to prove myself."

# What to watch early in Portland

• How quickly Morant and Lillard develop on-court chemistry, particularly in pick-and-rolls and spacing situations.
• Morant's health and conditioning given reduced games over recent seasons.
• How the Blazers' multiple ball handlers divide usage and whether unselfishness translates to consistent offensive flow.

The comments at media day set expectations: Morant wants a genuine reset, believes the roster's makeup can work, and says he will accept whatever role helps Portland win.