Le Journal

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When perusing Portland Trail Blazers highlights and news briefs, two names are bound to come up more than any other: high-flying guard Shaedon Sharpe and Mr. Everything, Deni Avdija. Next to them toils a less-heralded forward, known well in Portland circles but absent from national discussion: Toumani Camara. In his third year, Camara is averaging 12.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 33.8 minutes per game. Those numbers may not grab attention, but a deep work ethic and strong defensive game have made Camara as invaluable to the Blazers in his own way as anyone else, including Sharpe and Avdija. Oddly enough, that’s exactly the topic of today’s Blazer’s Edge Mailbag question, though it comes at this issue in reverse. Take a look. Dave, Why do you hate on Toumani [Camara]? You never mention him without slighting him. You criticize his offensive game. You said he’s not a star. Every year there’s a player who becomes the [scapegoat] and I guess Tou is it this year huh? What does he have to do to get the respect he’s earned? Call Me Old School Holy misinterpretation, Batman! I love Toumani Camara’s game. Last season I was calling him one of the untouchable backbone pieces for the team, along with Avdija. I didn’t mention anybody else in that category either. Just those two. I don’t know how you can get stronger than that. It’s not in appropriate to talk about Camara in terms of skills and role, just like every other NBA player on the planet. Both are evident and both help the Blazers. Camara’s best characteristic is his dogged determination. You see it as he picks up opposing players full-court on defense, slides into the lane to take charges, and remains active in defensive sets. Other players might give up on plays. Camara is going to do something. It may not always work, but you’re not going to stop him from trying. At the same time, he remains largely under control. Plenty of energy guys stand out, overcommitting or going for big gambles. Camara fits in. He’s not only in range of the play, he’s usually in position for the next one. That’s not just effort, that’s intelligence. Camara plays with the pace of a young player and the vision of a vet. That’s special. You can see his integration in the numbers. Camara’s steals, per-game and per-minute, are down this year. So are his deflections. He’s been asked to take on more point-of-attack assignments. He’s not as free to swoop in with help defense, the kind that generates flashy turnover numbers. He’s the handle of the defensive broom now, not the bristles. At the same time, he covers more defensive ground than anybody in the league and ranks fourth in charges drawn this season. That doesn’t mean Camara is an all-around superstar, nor that he’s the best defender in the league. It does mean he’s the exact mortar that the Blazers need, helping cement the bricks around him into a cohesive defensive wall. He’s not a perfect player, but for Portland right now he’s darn close. Camara’s offensive game isn’t as far-reaching as his defense. That’s evident and not wrong to say either. Here’s how it works. Both the Blazers AND Camara will be better off if he’s the fourth option in the offense than the second. Things get dicey when Toumani has the ball in his hands with a defender in front of him, expected to make a move or a shot. He can do it; almost all NBA players can. But the list of guys across the league you’d rather have in that situation is extensive. But if you draw the defense off balance then get the ball to Toumani—particularly in the corner—he can stroke a three or cut hard for a layup or dunk. At that point he becomes a serious thorn in the side of the opponent. He’s not solely a catch-and-shoot player, but playing off ball suits him better as an initial position than on. Add it all up and you get a player who would have been ideal in the NBA generation just passing—give or take needing to improve his three-point accuracy—and who is going to remain serviceable and…

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