Toumani Camara‘s role on the Portland Trail Blazers continues to be that of the defensive stopper. He deserves that because he is one of the league’s most impressive defenders. That has limited people’s view of his role in Portland’s offense, especially under Tiago Splitter’s system.
Toumani Camara’s Role In Portland’s Offense Has A High Ceiling
Over the past three seasons, Toumani Camara has been superb for the Portland Trail Blazers. He is the optimal defensive wing for Portland, as he is one of the most disruptive players in the league. Camara has a natural ability to draw fouls, which is even better because he is a lockdown defender too.
Camara has also been a relatively reliable offensive player. He mostly operates as a spot-up shooter, but he is also an intelligent cutter. This season, he has been relatively efficient from long distance despite the slow start. He is shooting 36.4% from three on over seven attempts a night.
He has decent offensive potential with decent touch around the rim to go with his shooting. Camara is also quite athletic, so he can surprise people with how well he can fare as a slasher.
Camara’s Role Could Elevate The Blazers Offense
Camara has been quite decent this season with his improvements as a shooter. He is taking more threes than ever, and he continues to hit them at a reliable rate. This was most prominent during Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Belgian forward had a career-high of 30 points on a super-efficient 10-for-12 from the field. He hit eight threes en route to the victory, while still making an impact defensively with three steals. It was a career-best performance, as Camara showed that he could be elite on both ends of the floor.
Toumani Camara LIT IT UP tonight!
👌 30 PTS (career-high)
👌 8 3PM (career-high)3 straight Ws for the @trailblazers! pic.twitter.com/I0IQVAaXUb
— NBA (@NBA) February 10, 2026
That performance against Philly showed that Camara could be a game-changer on offense. He won’t be the number one option like Deni Avdija or Shaedon Sharpe. However, he could be much better and prove why he’s the most underrated NBA player.
This season, he has been ramping up his drives into the paint. He is not a high-level dribbler, but he can get by with pure athleticism and strength. Considering he can finish with either hand, Camara is tough to stop when he goes downhill.
Portland’s Offense Relies On Better Shooting
Throughout the season, more people are realizing that Portland’s offense relies on the drive-and-kick. Avdija, Sharpe, Jrue Holiday, and now Scoot Henderson all thrive with that type of offense. All they need is good shooters around them, as they can supercharge Portland’s offensive potential.
Getting Vit Krejci in a trade was valuable, as he is an efficient shooter. However, the rest of the team must step up in that area as well. Camara is the other reliable shooter, so he must improve, so Portland’s offense can keep improving.
Vít Krejčí with the give-and-go inbounds and he takes it right to the rim for the dunk (with replays)
This isn't just any regular dunk, he literally faked the dunk direction to avoid the block and got it back.
Sorry Vit, I wasn't familiar with your game.Also on Youtube:… pic.twitter.com/gJPNmgWeJa
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 7, 2026
The rest of the team is slightly underwhelming with their perimeter shooting. The Blazers need to be much better from that part of their offense. They shoot plenty of three-pointers, but they are not hitting at the rate they want.
Damian Lillard can resolve this problem when he returns in the 2026-27 season. In the meantime, it is up to the current group to step up. Camara will be one of them, so he would love it if other teammates did the same.
Splitter’s System Has Plenty Of Untapped Potential
As the acting head coach, Tiago Splitter has done well. The Blazers are a tough team to go against because they work extremely hard, and they defend well. The numbers might not reflect that, but the Blazers are one of the most annoying matchups.
Camara is part of the reason why that is true because of his pesky defense. When he backs that up with good offense, the Blazers get even tougher to beat. They have the depth to show their strength, but Splitter must have a better system to build off of.
In the long run, Splitter’s offense has tons of potential. With Camara’s role getting bigger, Splitter will have more options. Holiday and Henderson’s playmaker role will get a much-needed boost, as Portland has untapped potential.
Featured Image: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images
