Thu Oct 09 02:20:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summarized news article based on the provided text:

**Portland Trail Blazers to Experiment with Lineups During Preseason, Avdija to Come Off Bench in Opener**

**SAN FRANCISCO, CA -** The Portland Trail Blazers are set to tip off their preseason against the Golden State Warriors tonight at Chase Center, but Coach Chauncey Billups is already signaling a willingness to shake things up. The starting lineup for tonight’s game will feature Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant, and Donovan Clingan, meaning Deni Avdija, a potential breakout player this season, will come off the bench.

Billups downplayed the significance of this decision, emphasizing that he plans to “tinker” with the starting lineup and rotations throughout the preseason. He even suggested the possibility of using a different starting five in each of the Blazers’ four exhibition games. “No reason to read into anything,” Billups said. “I’m just kind of looking at different rotations, looking at how it’s going.”

The Warriors will counter with a starting lineup of Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Al Horford.

The Blazers will be without several key players tonight. Scoot Henderson (hamstring), Robert Williams III (return to competition), and Damian Lillard (Achilles) were previously ruled out, and Matisse Thybulle has now been added to the injury list with right knee soreness.

The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. PT.

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