Blazers' Damian Lillard Already Getting Shots Up Amid Achilles Recovery

The Portland Trail Blazers are very excited to have Damian Lillard back with the team. After two years away in Milwaukee, Lillard is now back on a three-year deal.

Lillard will not play during this upcoming season because of the torn Achilles tendon that he is recovering from. He will make his Portland return in 2026-27.

Still, Lillard is making progress in his recovery every day. Now, he's even getting up some shots as he continues to slowly come along from that devastating injury.

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Trail Blazers Guard Damian Lillard is Starting to Shoot the Ball Again on The Court

Lillard is starting to get shots up, even if he's not actually jumping with these shots. Still, he's stretching out that Achilles in what looks like a positive way.

Dame back on the basketball court 👀
pic.twitter.com/KpqYwdlsNN
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 11, 2025

Lillard is already 35 years old, so he needs to make sure that he takes his time with this recovery. He wants to make sure that he is fully healthy before he ends up back on the court.

The Blazers have already made it abundantly clear that they will not be rushing him back from this injury. This is one of the more devastating injuries that a basketball player can suffer.

It's good to see that Lillard is at the point that he can be on the court without a boot on, as well. He can still work on his shooting form and some dribbling without getting too into it.

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The Trail Blazers Will Still Try to Make The Playoffs Without Damian Lillard

Portland has made it clear that its goal is to make the playoffs this season, even without Lillard on the roster. They believe that their young players are going to make a leap.

Those young players are going to have more chances to develop without Lillard being in control of the ball. He is a very ball-dominant guard when he is out there on the court. This is the perfect year for Scoot Henderson to make a leap.

Last season with the Bucks, 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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