Damian Lillard recently sparked excitement about his return, posting a video of himself doing various basketball workouts. During an interview with Andy Katz, the Portland Trail Blazers guard provided a positive update on his rehab progress.
In the same interview, Lillard also had a theory about the surge in Achilles injuries across the NBA. The Portland Trail Blazers star explained that today’s game is much harder on the body due to the players’ improved athleticism and skill sets.
“I’m not returning as a shell of myself. I plan to return to be myself,” Lillard stated. “Honestly, I think it might have something to do with the pace of the game. The game is getting super fast, and you’re dealing with like extremely high-level athletes.”
“You know how often guys train. You know how much we play and travel. All of those things, plus changing direction and stopping at the level we compete at, it’s hard on your body…You know, I think that’s probably becoming a little bit more of a thing now because of those reasons,” he added.
Portland Trail Blazers News: Analyst reveals the team’s glaring roster hole this upcoming season
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton recently wrote that the Portland Trail Blazers have a problem with their point guard depth heading into this season, since Damian Lillard is not expected to play for the team until 2026-27.
“With Damian Lillard spending his first season back in Portland on the sidelines because of an Achilles tear, the Blazers don’t have ideal options behind Scoot Henderson and newcomer Jrue Holiday,” Pelton stated.
“If either misses time, Portland might be better off using Deni Avdija as a point forward instead of reclamation project Blake Wesley,” he concluded.
