We know, we know... another post about Toumani Camara. Not so much the one that got away for the Phoenix Suns as the one they insisted on giving away when they tried to save a doomed super team by trading for Jusuf Nurkic. Look away now, but Camara appears to be making another leap.
Camara helping turn Trail Blazers into Suns of last season
The Portland Trail Blazers have already beaten the Suns to begin their season a perfect 3-0, with the great irony being that Camara and company looked like the Suns of last season in how they beat them down by a whopping 41 points. The Trail Blazers already look much the better offensive outfit thanks to Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, but the buzz, energy and desire defensively were all calling cards of the Suns a year ago.
Camara has played his part in making that happen, while also posting a career-high 16.3 points per game. At 24.7 minutes a night, his time on the court is down nearly 10 minutes from last season, but there is an increased level of efficiency in everything that he does. Forget Jordan Goodwin and other teams being interested in his services; Camara is the real gem and one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the entire league.
During that same span, the Suns have posted the worst defensive rating in the league, in large part because of that 124-83 beatdown the Trail Blazers inflicted on them. We were concerned heading into that game that Camara could immediately derail the Suns' season by being everything they need and more, and that proved to be painfully correct.
A backcourt of Lillard and Morant should not work for the same reason that Devin Booker and Jalen Green have question marks hanging over them. Not enough high-level defending. But Camara alleviates that pressure in a way that Miles Bridges never can by willingly playing less and taking what the offense gives him, and the result has been spectacular.
Suns need to find next Camara to steady their ship ASAP
It cannot be overstated what a disaster giving up on Camara before ever playing a game for the Suns was; it is the reason we keep returning to him here. The front office now needs to find somebody who can replicate what he does, and right now the best they've got in-house is Ryan Dunn, who does not inspire the same level of confidence.
Perhaps they could convince the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder to part with a future pick that the Suns can turn into the next Camara to fill this void. If that sounds like cope, that is because it is. Camara and the Trail Blazers are already a joy to watch and are exceeding expectations, firmly taking that position from the Suns of 2025-26.
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