If Damian Lillard can play like an All-Star at 36 years old after tearing his Achilles, that would be awesome. It would also be superhuman — and pretty much unprecedented in the history of the NBA. Luckily for the Blazers, they don't really need him to be the All-NBA version of himself he was in his original tenure with the team. They just need him to be, essentially, a fine point guard.
Look at the on/off numbers of this year's Blazers team. Jrue Holiday leads the team with a plus-7.5 on/off rating per 100. That makes sense, as he's been one of the team's most consistent players and his ball-handling ability has been crucial in everything the team does.
Scoot Henderson, meanwhile, has not been particularly good in his return from a torn hamstring... And the team is still 2.4 points better per 100 possessions when he's on the floor. That's because the Blazers are so desperate for ballhandling and facilitation outside of Jrue Holiday that virtually any player who can dribble the ball and make the occasional good pass makes the team a lot better.
Even at this point in his career, coming off his most serious injury ever, I believe Damian Lillard can do that. Whether he's the team's starting point guard off the bat or settles into a backup role to start the season (which I think is the best option), Lillard and Holiday both being smart, capable facilitators will do wonders for the Blazers often-stagnant offense.
Damian Lillard has his work cut out for him with Blazers
The biggest problem with this team for years has been a lack of guys who can run an offense and pass the ball at even a league-average level. Lillard has never been a Chris Paul-level passer, but he and Holiday are a far better distributor duo than this team has had in a long, long time.
Fans who are expecting Damian Lillard to be the All-Star-caliber player he was when he last played for the Portland Trail Blazers might be disappointed. Of course, we'd all love the Blazers to have a star waiting in the wings. And, sure, that version of Dame would elevate the Blazers in a major way.
But he doesn't have to be that guy to make this Blazers team considerably better. A play-in berth is all but secured this year, and that's already a step in the right direction. With a dearth of depth at guard, Damian Lillard being good will be a boon to the Blazers.