Why Blazers Shouldn't Worry About Damian Lillard Injury

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard shoots a three-point shot during warm ups before the Trail Blazers play against the Philadelphia 76ers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why Blazers Shouldn't Worry About Damian Lillard Injury

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Marlow Ferguson Jr. | Last updated Aug 30, 2026 9:00 AM ET

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Damian Lillard’s claim for being NBA history's second-best shooter ever might’ve been up for debate, but it likely won’t be anymore if we’re talking about practice.

For anyone skeptical about how the Portland Trail Blazers’ superstar might look during 2026-27’s return season, Lillard knew of quite the way, 1,100 ways, actually, to instill confidence.

In a post from the Blazers’ official X page, a photograph showed that Rip City’s one-of-a-kind sniper hit on 1,100-of-1,168 (94.2 percent) of his 3-point attempts during an offseason workout.

Dame is one of one pic.twitter.com/u5TjhLbOOk
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) August 29, 2026

It’s the type of eye-opening photograph that one might’ve presumed to be AI, even for a marksman of Lillard’s caliber. But in the words of Allen Iverson — the original “AI,” — Lillard’s greatness is of note, even when we’re “not talking about the game.”

Just a few weeks ago, Lillard helped Portland introduce their 82-game schedule in the most Damian Lillard way possible : by hitting 29 straight 3-pointers, one dedicated to every team the Blazers would play in 2026-27:

On a greater scale, it’s the type of news that could be perfect for what the Blazers need next season. Experts have talked ad nauseum about the Blazers’ lack of long-range accuracy a season ago, as well as the need for a consistent night-to-night “Robin” to put alongside first-time All-Star Deni Avdija.

The acquisitions of both Lillard and Ja Morant figure to change that exponentially, and along the way, No. 0’s presence likely guarantees that Portland won’t finish at No. 28 on the NBA’s 3-point percentage leaderboards for a second-consecutive season.

From a prediction standout, it also figures to explain what this iteration of Lillard could be best at. In his last fully-healthy season in 2024-25, he produced a blazing-hot effective field goal percentage (61.5) on catch-and-shoot attempts, as well as a 40.5 percent hit rate on 3-pointers with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The NBA world will get their first opportunity to see it in real-time when the Blazers open up preseason play in early-October.

In the meantime, some will probably wonder about what a “perfect shot” is, and how Lillard “only” hit two of them. Others will likely marvel over the 94 percent hit rate on such high volume. Regardless of where one stands, the point remains: Lillard’s stance among league history’s greatest long-range assassins simply can’t be understated.

This article first appeared on Portland Trail Blazers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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