Portland Trail Blazers: Gary Payton Will Turn Damian Lillard Into All-Defensive Player

Damian Lillard will work with Hall of Famer Gary Payton to improve his defense this summer. Photo Credit: Chrishmt0424 (Flickr.com)

When (@Dame_Lillard) Damian Lillard accepted his 2013 Rookie of the Year award, he acknowledged to the media, his fans and his skeptics (if there really are any) that he understands the need to start really working on his defensive skills. According to The Oregonian, Lillard stated that, “When people say stuff about my defense, it bothers me. And I’m aware of it. It drives me. It lights a fire under me.’’

There is no better person to go to for mentoring, than one of the greatest point guards of all-time, Hall of Famer (@GaryPayton_20 ) Gary Payton. Payton, who earned the nickname, “The Glove,” is the only point guard in NBA history to be named the Defensive Player of the Year, an award he won in 1995-96. In addition, he was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team in nine straight seasons.

Defensively, Payton was relentless in his approach and made it very difficult for opposing point guards to run the floor effectively. He had the ability to apply a very tight and consistent pressure that caused a tremendous amount of turnovers and altered opposing offenses. For nine straight seasons, Payton was ranked in the top 10 in the league in steals and ended his career as the No. 4 all-time insteals.

The Oregonian goes on to state that Payton, who shares the same management team as Lillard, has reached out to Lillard in an effort to help him become one of the most well-rounded point guards in the game. This summer of mentoring could be exactly what Lillard needs in order to begin to mature and develop his game at the other end of the court.

Lillard is athletic, there is no doubting that about him. Being a great defensive player, however, is much more than having ability. It is about being tough and not being afraid of failure. Lillard is so fixated on his offensive game that he seems to be thinking ahead as to how he can push the ball back up the court, rather than placing himself in a position to cause the turnover required to get the ball back down the court.

What made Payton so great at defense, on top of being a gifted athlete, was the fact that he was fearless. He would get in the head of the opposing players and it would lead to unforced turnovers and mistakes, not just steals.

Damian Lillard is not an arrogant trash talker like Payton. It would be a mistake for Payton to try and turn him into something he is not. Getting Lillard to be more aggressive, take chances and work on a greater anticipation of his opposing players and their shots is the key to making Lillard a better defensive player.

In reality, Lillard is not that great of an actual point guard. He is a great basketball player and a great offensive-minded shooter. If Lillard is going to continue to advance his career beyond being a rookie sensation, he has got to be more of a game-altering force at both ends of the court.

Having, arguably, one of the greatest all-around point guards in the history of basketball taking him under his wing is the next step in becoming a single-name entity within the league.