Damian Lillard will miss much of the 2021-22 NBA season.
The Trail Blazers star reportedly plans to undergo surgery to treat a “persistent abdominal injury” and will be reevaluated in several weeks, although it seems possible that he may be out for longer.
Damian Lillard plans to undergo surgery in the near future to treat a persistent abdominal injury, sources told ESPN. The procedure is not expected to end the season, but that remains to be determined.
—Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) January 12, 2022
What’s next for Lillard? Here’s everything we know about his injury and the latest news on when he can return to the court.
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What is Damian Lillard’s injury?
lillard injury appears as abdominal tendinopathy. It’s something he’s been dealing with for some time.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Lillard made it worse in the summer while playing for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics. December 8th, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Lillard underwent a cortisone injection procedure to “mitigate the pain he has been dealing with for the past several years,” adding that the pain had reached a “more intense point” before the procedure.
After missing five straight games, Lillard returned to the lineup on December 12. He played in nine consecutive games before being sidelined again, averaging 29.6 points, 6.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds in .413 / .363 / .846 shooting divisions.
Lillard last played on December 31, 2021.
How long will Damian Lillard be gone?
It is unknown how long the Trail Blazers will be without Lillard.
Lillard is said to be out for at least six to eight weeks, but Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that his return to the game will depend on “their health and where the team stands in the leaderboard. “
In a Twitter thread, In Street Clothes’s Jeff Stotts gave an idea of the type of injury Lillard might be facing.
One of the big problems is the terminology. Terms such as sports hernia and athletic pubalgia are often used to describe injuries to the area, but recently the adoption of the term central muscle injury (CMI) has been prompted. It is a general term, but it is not always so misleading. 2/5
—Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) January 12, 2022
Most CMI repairs in the NBA are done in the off-season, but there are a few cases that occurred during the season, including Grant Hill, Chucky Atkins, and Mike Miller. While these players were back in action around 2 months after surgery, the details of each case remain unique. 4/5
—Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) January 12, 2022
Lillard’s injury is described as abdominal tendinopathy, but even this can refer to the rectus abdominis (6-pack) or adductors (groin). Hopefully more details emerge after the surgery. It is worth mentioning that the POR history can also influence your recovery window. 5/5
—Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) January 12, 2022
The Trail Blazers currently rank 10th in the Western Conference standings with a 16-24 record. That’s good enough for them to be in the Play-In picture, but only three games separate them from the Thunder at 14th.
The Trail Blazers have made the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the NBA.
UPDATE (Jan 13, 2022): Now Lillard is expected to be reevaluated in five to six weeks, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard says @YahooSports He is “feeling fine” after having a successful tummy tuck this morning in Philadelphia, which was performed by Dr. William C. Meyers, and is now expected to be reevaluated in 5 to 6 weeks.
—Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 13, 2022
Damian Lillard career stats, highlights
- 24.6 points per game
- 6.6 assists per game
- 4.2 rebounds per game
- 1.0 steals per game
- 2.8 turnovers per game
- 43.7 percent shot
- 37.3 percent from 3-point shots
- 89.3 percent free throws
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.