Damian Lillard Expects to Return to His Peak Form With Blazers Following Achilles Injury

The Portland Trail Blazers are excited to have Damian Lillard back in town. He is one of the most important players in the history of the franchise, and he was gone for the last two seasons.

This past year, Lillard tore his Achilles tendon in the first round of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. He will now miss all of next season after re-signing with the Blazers.

Lillard is going to have a hard time recovering from that injury at his age. Don't tell him that, though, because he thinks he's going to be the same great player he has been.

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In an article on ESPN, Lillard believes that he is still going to be the same player after he returns from that devastating injury.

"It's obviously a tough injury, but I know how I'm going to approach the whole rehab process, taking my time. I think I'm going to return to form."

Lillard's agent is also hyping up his return, as you might expect.

"It's Dame. I know Dame. "I know the desire. I know the fight. I know how hard he works. And I didn't see this as anything that was going to shut down his career. It's going to be something that was going to maybe even prolong his career because he goes so hard that he's got to give his body a break."

The Trail Blazers are hoping that Lillard can return to form in 2026-27 when he returns to action. They are hoping to be a playoff team by that point.

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Lillard's game isn't necessarily predicated on athleticism, so there is a chance that he can come back and still be pretty good offensively. Unfortunately, his defense is likely to get even worse.

When Lillard is back on the court, he will be 36 years old. It's going to be tough for him to play at an All-Star level at that age in what is a super-crowded Western Conference.

This past season, Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. He shot 44.8 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.