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The Portland Trail Blazers lead the West through seven games to start the season, posting a conference-best 6-1 record so far.
Most of Portland's starting lineup has thrived to open the new campaign, but some players have struggled at times. Here we'll review the play of each starter after two weeks of action, grading their play so far this season.
Grade: A-
Under normal circumstances this grade could be dropped to a B+, but what Damian Lillard has done in his first season back from a torn Achilles can't be understated. He's the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 20.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 29.7 minutes per game.
Lillard led the team with 25 points in the upset win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, and has chipped in 20 points in five of his seven games so far this season. The lineup is leaning on the franchise's all-time leading scorer for continued production, and he's answering the call early in the Blazers' campaign.
Grade: D
Scoot Henderson took over as the team's starter following the injury to Ja Morant, and the fourth-year guard has struggled early in his contract year. He's shooting just 32.8 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from 3-point range, the worst marks among the starting-five, averaging career-lows of 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
He showed flashes early, but could find himself on the trade block as the Blazers continue to emerge as contenders in the Western Conference. Henderson is our lowest-graded starter in the list, and Portland is quickly running out of time before potentially losing him in free agency.
Grade: A-
Toumani Camara is Portland's top perimeter defender among the starting rotation, and has thrived in his 3-and-D role through seven games to start the season. Camara has emerged the Blazers' best 3-point shooter so far this year, connecting on 47.1 percent of his 7.3 attempts from beyond the arc per night.
He's averaging an efficient 13.7 points per game, chipping in 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists with one steal a night on the defensive end. The Blazers rank 11th in 3-point shooting this season, and Camara has played a crucial role in that success.
Grade: A
Deni Avdija finally reached his potential in just his second season with the Blazers in 2025-26. He earned his first All-Star bid, and has carried that momentum into the start of the 2026-27 campaign. Avdija leads Portland in scoring and assists, tallying 23.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists, shooting an efficient 47.8 percent from the field.
Portland continues to lean on Avdija as the No. 1 option on the offensive end, and he's exceeding expectations once again. He posted a season-high 12 assists against Denver, leading Portland to a second-half comeback victory. Avdija is just one of six players with 23-6-6 averages, and is on his way to a second consecutive All-Star nod this season.
Grade: A
Few big men in the NBA have defended the paint better than Donovan Clingan to start the new season. He ranks fourth in the league in blocks (2.4 per game), and is one of just four players averaging at least 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. He's elevated that production to 3.0 blocks a night over his last three games, averaging 14.0 points and 11.5 rebounds during that stretch.
Clingan anchored the post in a tough matchup against Nikola Jokic, and will be called on to defend some of the top big men in basketball out West. If he can sustain his level of output, Portland will be destined to make a run in the postseason come late April.