India, Sept. 20 -- Mike Johnson did not wait for a vote he knew he could not control. When Thomas Massie walked onto the House floor on the afternoon of September 15 and formally introduced eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Speaker of the House had one answer prepared: dismiss the chamber and go home.

Training camp opens September 29, the preseason begins October 3, and the regular season tips off October 20. Portland must establish on-court chemistry between Ja Morant and Damian Lillard, rebuild its backcourt rotation without Shaedon Sharpe, and determine how the Henderson situation will unfold.

Morant has been in Portland. He has handled the media, said what the organization needed him to say, ...