Toumani Camara, a rookie big for the Portland Trail Blazers, made headlines last night in a 138-133 loss to the Utah Jazz thanks to an incredible performance. Whether it’s preseason or not, the 23-year-old shown that he has useful tools.
During his third NBA preseason game, Camara shot 4/6 from the field and 3/4 from beyond the arc, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two athletic blocks.
Camara was given the postgame interview treatment in the locker room because of his diverse performance, even though he mostly attributed his play to effort.
“You just have to go out there and give it everything you’ve got and try to be as unquestionable as possible. I think that’s what I was doing tonight—playing hoops and having fun with my guys without thinking too much.”
In the fourth quarter, Camara’s star blazed the brightest. With less than two minutes remaining, Portland was able to trim a 14-point deficit to just one point thanks in large part to his 13 points in the fourth quarter.
After her performance yesterday night, Camara described her game as “fearless.” Considering Camara’s floor activity, particularly in the hustle category, it’s simple to see why. In addition to recording two blocks and a steal, Camara also took a charge, registered three deflections, and tied Utah centre Walker Kessler for the game’s most shots contested (10). Maybe the most amazing part of the show were the 6-foot-8 forward’s rim-dulling competitions.
“I just try to give it my all, that’s how I play on both ends,” Camara remarked. “[I] strive to make my team succeed. That seems to be the most crucial factor in the end. If it means giving up my body, I will do whatever it takes to help. I play this game too often not to give it everything I’ve got when I’m on the court.
The rookie also won over Anfernee Simons, a guard with the Blazers. But after seeing Camara perform in rehearsal, Simons wasn’t taken aback by the performance.
“Toumani has excelled. He has consistently been quite impressive, even from the first time he arrived. He simply demonstrated to everyone tonight what he has been doing throughout training camp and
In just five minutes of action during Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Suns, Camara was scoreless. But two days before that game, in his NBA preseason debut against the New Zealand Breakers, Camara scored 13 points on 5/6 shooting, added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. He played with some of the same consistent, powerful style that he showed on Saturday night against the Jazz.Camara played four seasons of collegiate ball, divided between Georgia and Dayton, before being taken by the Phoenix Suns with the No. 52 overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draught. Then, in late September, he arrived in Portland as a somewhat glossed-over appendage to the Damian Lillard trade. Now, if the first three preseason games are any guide,
Camara played four seasons of collegiate ball, divided between Georgia and Dayton, before being taken by the Phoenix Suns with the No. 52 overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draught. Then, in late September, he arrived in Portland as a somewhat glossed-over appendage to the Damian Lillard trade. Now, based on three preseason games, Camara appears to have established himself as a strong candidate to play rotational minutes this coming season.
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