We have seen Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum make a stunning return from a torn Achilles tendon this season, and we might see another soon. The Portland Trail Blazers have been without franchise icon Damian Lillard all season long, but it appears there is a chance we’ll see him in action this postseason.
The Oregonian’s Bill Oram reports that Lillard, who tore his Achilles tendon on April 27, 2025, could potentially even play in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs.
“A source said Lillard is ‘close’ and that his return before the end of the postseason is ‘not impossible.’ Any appearance would need to be in a later round or ‘deep, deep’ in the series against the Spurs. At a minimum, the team is being open-minded about the possibility.”
The Trail Blazers had teased a return by sharing a clip of Lillard shooting at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Wednesday. Head coach Tiago Splitter then left the door slightly open for a comeback by saying the 35-year-old probably won’t play against the Spurs.
So, there is a chance, small as it might be, that we’ll see Lillard suit up for the Trail Blazers soon. With that in mind, we decided to look at what Portland’s starting lineup could be with the nine-time All-Star.
Starters
Point Guard: Damian Lillard
Shooting Guard: Jrue Holiday
Small Forward: Deni Avdija
Power Forward: Toumani Camara
Center: Donovan Clingan
A player being directly inserted into the starting lineup following this long a layoff would have been unthinkable even a few months ago, but we just saw it with Tatum.
Every case is different, but if Lillard is healthy and anywhere near his best, he’d provide a huge offensive boost to the Trail Blazers. He averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024-25. The Trail Blazers could do with having a reliable second option on offense, and Lillard might prove to be just that.
Jrue Holiday would be Lillard’s backcourt partner, and he’s exactly the kind of strong defensive guard you want next to him. Holiday averaged 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game in the regular season. He has struggled a bit offensively in the playoffs, averaging 12.5 points on 31.3% shooting from the field, but continues to provide value with his defense.
Deni Avdija, meanwhile, has provided a whole lot of value with his offense all season. Avdija averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in the regular season. The Israeli forward then had 41 points in the play-in game against the Phoenix Suns and is now putting up 22.0 points on 50.0% shooting from the field against the Spurs. Avdija would benefit the most from Lillard’s presence as he’d take some of the pressure off him.
Toumani Camara might be who many want to see sent to the bench for Lillard, but he should start. Camara is the Trail Blazers’ best defensive player and averaged 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game during the regular season. The Belgian hasn’t been great offensively against the Spurs, averaging 9.0 points on 35.7% shooting from the field, but they need his defense.
The last spot on the starting lineup, unsurprisingly, goes to Donovan Clingan. Clingan averaged 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game in the regular season. He has seen his playing time go down a bit in the playoffs, but is still putting up solid averages of 6.5 points and 8.5 rebounds against the Spurs. Clingan’s rim-protection and rebounding remain important to the Blazers’ success.
Bench
Point Guard: Scoot Henderson
Shooting Guard: Shaedon Sharpe
Small Forward: Matisse Thybulle
Power Forward: Jerami Grant
Center: Robert Williams III
Scoot Henderson being the one to make way for Lillard does seem harsh. Henderson just scored 31 points to lead the Trail Blazers to victory in Game 2 and was pretty good in Game 1 as well, with 18 points. He is averaging 24.5 points on 64.3% shooting from the field against the Spurs, but is the prime candidate to come off the bench.
That was Henderson’s role this season as well, as he only got into the lineup once Jerami Grant went down with a calf injury. He, Grant, and Shaedon Sharpe would be tasked with providing a spark offensively off the bench. Matisse Thybulle and Robert Williams III, meanwhile, are fine defensive options to call upon.
All in all, this is a dangerous team if Lillard is anywhere near his best. They are pretty good as is without him, and could end up upsetting the Spurs if Victor Wembanyama, who is in the concussion protocol, misses multiple games. Wembanyama is listed as questionable for Game 3, and the Trail Blazers will be fancying their chances of going up 2-1 if he can’t go.
