Blazers Coach Micah Nori: Damian Lillard Has Barely Lost Any Speed Following Injury

Star point guard Damian Lillard is gearing up for his return to the NBA hardwood following a layoff dating back to April 27, 2025. Portland Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori assured that the guard has retained his quickness and is in excellent shape after rehabbing from injury.

"He hasn't really lost much speed—I wouldn't necessarily say explosiveness, but the quickness is definitely still there. I always remind people his injury was lower body, not upper body. He's still a phenomenal shooter, so his game doesn't rely strictly on speed anyway. The most important thing is creating space and getting him clean looks," Nori told andscape.com.

Nori also highlighted the guard's evolving tactical role: "The difference is Dame will operate off the ball much more than he did early in his career. Naturally, we'll still feature him in pick-and-roll situations, but the ball doesn't have to stay in his hands constantly to generate open shots within our offense."