Damian Lillard hasn’t played an NBA game since tearing his Achilles on April 27, 2025, but first accounts from Trail Blazers teammate The mists of Kamara and head coach Mika Nori believe that the veteran point guard is starting to look like he used to, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“If I never knew Dame Lillard and I came into the building and just started watching them play basketball, I wouldn’t have been able to tell he had surgery.” Norrie said after watching Lillard take part in daily runs at the Blazers’ practice facility in recent weeks.
Kamara has yet to reunite with Lillard, who was acquired by Portland from Phoenix in a blockbuster three-team deal that sent the longtime Blazers star to Milwaukee. But Kamara, known for his defensive prowess, was often tasked with guarding Lillard in pre-camp scrimmages, and he told The Athletic that what he saw from the 36-year-old was “very, very impressive.” According to Do Quick, Kamara said Lillard would be on his list of the five toughest players to defend in the NBA.
“I think the most impressive thing for me was his first step, his speed, especially coming back from that injury.” – said Kamara. “He’s just been really hard to guard. He has so many ways to get around you. He’s mastered his game and he’s mastered his body, and no matter how good of a defender you are, if somebody’s mastered their game, they’re going to get where they want to go. You just have to hope they miss a shot.”
It remains to be seen what the Blazers’ new backcourt will look like once Lillard returns from his Achilles injury and Ja Morant joining a group. In the mail bag Sean Haykin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link) suggests that it would probably be wise for one of these two star point guards to come off the bench for Portland, allowing a stronger defender – Jrue’s holiday – to be part of the starting back zone.
We’ve got more from across the North West:
- Which may require zooming for beginners Thunder security guard Cason Wallace? Using deals recently signed by players such as Ausar Thompson, Christian Brown, Peyton Watson, Ayo Dosunmuand Dyson Daniels as comparative Justin Martinez of Oklahoman estimates that Wallace’s next contract could average around $26 million to $30 million over four or five seasons.
- Nuggets the wing Julian Strother is eligible for a rookie extension ahead of his fourth NBA season, but it’s unclear how aggressively the team will pursue a deal after his playing time drops to 15.1 minutes per game in 2025-26. Chris Dempsey of Demps and Circumstance reflects on what lies ahead for Strother, writing that he could compete for rotation minutes if the team is fully healthy, as DeMar DeRozan, Tyus Jones, Spencer Jonesand Marvin Bagley III project will be the first four players from the bench.
- Shreyas Ladda of The Salt Lake Tribune several fields Jazz-related questions in his first mailbag, discussing realistic goals for the first year Darrin Petersonwanting to balance winning with player development and what a “perfect” season would look like in Utah. According to Ladd, the Jazz’s “absolute ceiling” in 2026/27 could be a top-five seed and a competitive first-round playoff run.