If you’ve watched the Portland Trail Blazers over the past two seasons, Toumani Camara’s defense has been a staple of what you’ve witnessed.
During his rookie season, defensive intensity was the hallmark, as fans in Portland got to know their new prospect. In Year 2, Camara broke out onto the national scene, earning Second Team All-Defense honors, terrorizing opponents’ best players night in and night out.
Now, in his third season, Camara’s defense isn’t just part of the Trail Blazers’ identity—it’s driving it. And it’s what’s inspired Portland’s latest move, which could prove to be a major motivator all season long.
The Box
Following a 136-131 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, head coach Tiago Splitter introduced his team to “The Box.”
On the surface, it’s just that: a wooden box, in which the Blazers’ Defensive Player of the Game (DPOG) drops his name. By the end of the season, whoever has the most DPOG honors will win a prize.
Of course, at its core, The Box comes from Camara. When the Blazers’ 25-year-old reflects on his defense, he speaks like the NBA’s version of a cornerback. He squares up to opponents, chest-to-chest. He puts them in “The Box” and refuses to let them escape.
Although The Box has always been Camara’s thing, it’s not uncommon to see teammates giving The Box hand signal from the bench to celebrate his defensive wins. It’s become a part of the team culture. And it makes sense that now it’s a team motivator.
Will Players Buy In?
You may think to yourself that NBA players already have it all, and that a mystery-box prize won’t motivate anyone with enough money to literally buy happiness.
Counterpoint: No.
At its most basic, basketball is a game. It’s not a profession; it’s a competition in which pride, ego, and yes, prizes, are on the line.
As of this writing, the Blazers are just 25th in points allowed per game, and they’re nearly bottom-10 in opponent three-point percentage. They do lead the league in both steals and blocks per game. But that’s heavily impacted by playing the second-fastest pace in the NBA, creating more possessions than 28 other teams.
For how much we touted these Blazers as defense-focused ahead of the season, it’s concerning that they’re ranked just 22nd in Defensive Efficiency with nearly a third of the year behind us. The uptempo pace has thrown off some teams, especially at the start of the season. But the defense, simply put, hasn’t been all it was cracked up to be.
Who Will Win The Prize?
It’s fair to say not everyone will take to The Box, but following its introduction to the team, players seemed motivated. Take Robert Williams, for instance, who told reporters, “I think it’s motivation … to have pride on defense when you walk in the locker room at the end of the night. …Somebody tells me someone played better defense than me—I take that personal.”
One thing to note: It’s been reported that Tiago Splitter got Camara’s blessing before seeing this project through, knowing the concept has been and always will be Camara’s.
For that reason, the All-Defense member is the favorite to win the most DPOGs this season, earning the prize at the end of the year.
Of course, Robert Williams sounds motivated, and Sidy Cissoko has a head start as the first player to drop his name in The Box. Donovan Clingan will likely push for the prize, as will Matisse Thybulle if he can get healthy and on the court.
But everything about this feels like it’s Camara’s to lose. And either way, this experiment feels like a potential win for the Blazers, who needed to shake things up one way or another.
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