The biggest question surrounding the new-look Blazers heading the NBA season is: how are they going fit the surplus of backcourt talent together?The team is completely flushed with guards having Lillard and Ja Morant as starters and and their backups Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson.Lillard was asked how the team is going to deploy them all.His answer, If we are just doing the right thing, playing the right way I think the balance will work itself out.If our mentality is right and we handle it right, I think we could be a tough time for everybody, Lillard added. If I get the ball and Im advancing the ball ahead to Ja Morant, I feel pretty good about it. If Im advancing the ball to [All-Star forward] Deni [Avdija] out there, I feel good about it. And for both of those guys, if they are attacking the rim, attacking the paint and theyre kicking the ball out to me for a 3-pointer, I think they should feel great about that.As well as trying to fit all the new and old backcourt talent together, the Blazers have a new head coach in Micah Nori.Nori is looking at the surplus as a good thing, telling ESPN it will take some of the load off of a 36-year-old Lillard.Dame agrees.Im capable of doing whatever I need to do, but at this stage, I dont think I need to kill myself in a regular season trying to play 37, 36, 35 minutes if its unnecessary, Lillard said. We got a lot of guards, we got a lot of ability at the guard position, and I dont think it should be necessary for me to have to play 35 minutes.Lillard missed the entire 2026 season recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered in his final game with the Bucks.He confirmed hes been fully recovered from his injury for several months and only thinks about it when someone else brings it up.I dont have any restrictions, he said. I talk about the injury when Im asked about it, but when Im playing, its not a thought anymore. Im at that stage. Im able to play free.READ MORE: Kyrie Irving Gets Honest About Finishing Career With Mavericks
