Trail Blazers Rookie Brutally Honest About Portland's Miserable Season

We get it.

Mar 23, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) shoots the / Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie Portland Trail Blazers small forward Toumani Camara, selected with the No. 52 pick out of Dayton in the 2023 draft, got brutally honest about his 2023-24 season with the team.

The 6'7" swingman impressed during his inaugural NBA stint, but the same could hardly be said for his new team, which finished at a miserable 21-61 on the year and in the Western Conference's No. 15 seed.

Per Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan Portland, Camara acknowledged that he was excited to earn major minutes, while being disappointed the team struggled with ailments.

"I wasn't ready for this - I didn't know if I was going to a place where I was going to be able to play," Camara said. "But putting in the work and being recognized [with the team's Maurice Lucas Award, named for the player who best represented the city's spirit]... I'm feeling good in Portland."

"A lot of up and downs - but I feel like I was able to learn so much," Camara said of his experience with the club. "Just trying to get better each day and keep learning.”

"It was really hard for everyone with all the injuries and all the changes," Camara said of the season as a whole. "I was getting lost a little bit but I have to remember how much I have to learn still and can't expect too much."

A two-time All-Atlantic 10 Team honoree and a 2023 Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team selection while with the Flyers, Camara averaged 7.5 points on .450/.337/.758 shooting splits, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks across his 70 contests with the club this year (49 starts).

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