Gary Payton says Damian Lillard must get better on defense

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has become one of the fastest rising stars in the NBA. Lillard along with LaMarcus Aldridge have transformed the Blazers into a threat in the Western Conference.

Even though Lillard has shown that he is one of the better players in the league, former NBA All-Star, Hall of Famer and fellow Oakland native Gary Payton says that Lillard must become a better defender to make his team better and become an elite player.

“He can be like Patrick Beverley [of the Houston Rockets] if he wants to, but that’s a mindset,” Payton told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com Thursday night at American AirlinesArena. “I think Damian has to be willing and ready to play that type of way. Right now, he’s scoring so easily and he’s so good at the offensive end, he doesn’t have to think about defense. He doesn’t have to think about it because he knows he can outscore somebody.

“He can have 35 [points] when he wants to and that’s where the game is going right now. But we have to get that out his mindset. If he wants to be a two-way guard and have his name in a legacy for being that way, he has to step it up on the defensive end.”

Payton and Lillard were supposed to workout together last summer but their scheduled didn't vibe. Payton in dogging Lillard, he just wants to see him be one of the best and perhaps get his team to a championship level. Payton feels that being an elite level defender is a state of mind more than scheduling workouts.

“It’s all about your mentality. You can’t teach nobody nothing about good defense,” Payton says. “All you can do is if you have good hands, good feet and you get the mindset that you’re going to sit down and lock somebody up. You have to want to learn how to do it and watch yourself do it. That’s when you become good. I can’t go out there and say, ‘Okay, move your feet, do this, move this, move your hands right there.’ No, you have to have instincts with the game. It’s a mentality. Defense just isn’t a part of our game nowadays.”

“Just like John Stockton, he was a two-way guard. He played defense and he played offense and he went into the Hall of Fame averaging 12 points and 12 assists. So that’s just the way people have to do it in my opinion. That’s the way I came up playing against basketball players like that."

If Lillard is going to get tips from anyone defensively why not from one of the better defenders that played the game. Payton has thrown down a challenge to Lillard but not in a negative way. Payton knows there are more ways to impact a game.

“I think Damian has the potential to be a dominant defender and I think he wants that because he’s a smart basketball player and he wants to get better every year,” he said. “I think he’s going to go in and see the way he’s not stopping guards that he should be stopping. There’s no way that you can stop guards in the NBA right now anyways with the rules. All you can do is contain them and if you can contain them, you’ll disrupt their rhythm. I’m hopeful he’ll get it.” 

Lillard isn't terrible but the series against the San Antonio Spurs showed that he needs to be able to contain players like Tony Parker in order to become a championship team instead of facing first or second round playoff exits.

    

Greg Oden wants to play more next season

Center Greg Oden was signed by the Miami Heat as an insurance policy in case the team needed to go big in the playoffs, mostly to combat the Indiana Pacers' Roy Hibbert. Oden wasn't used since Hibbert had a horrible playoff season.

Oden didn't play much this season, but the biggest bust this side of Sam Bowie isn't done playing. Oden says he plans on playing next season whether it be in Miami or somewhere else. He also would like to see more playing time than he did this season.

Oden, who will be an unrestricted free agent, is disappointed how things turned out, but is taking it all in stride.

“Yeah, I’m sure I’m playing again next year but honestly I haven’t given that much thought,” Oden told CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes Wednesday after practice. “I’m trying to concentrate on this and getting this ring first and after that, that’s part of the thought process. My body feels good. I can still play.  I’ll be alright….

“It wasn’t what I was hoping it would be,” the big man said. “I would definitely like to have played more but you know, everything that I’ve been through, I’m just happy to be out there and being on a team. Last year  I wasn’t and this year I’m on a team that possibly can win the championship. I’m happy in that, but personally, playing wise, I’m not has happy as I want to be.”

You have to give Oden credit for coming this far in his recovery from multiple knee surgeries. His best bet though is for him to be a piece on a contending team more than going to a team where fans and teammates might expect a bit more out of the former number one pick.

Even though it's hard to feel sorry for someone who has millions in the bank, you almost have to feel sorry for him. He'll always be labeled as a bust, not because he couldn't play, but because he was always hurt, Kevin Durant's meteoric rise to stardom and the fact that he was the number one pick. Someone will give Oden a shot but it might be a long shot if he's anywhere near productive.    

Seahawks sign former Vikings All Pro Kevin Williams

The Seattle Seahawks have bolstered their depth on their defensive line by reportedly signing former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams. 

Williams will be entering his 12th season in the NFL, having spent his entire career until now with the Minnesota Vikings. Williams started 15 games last season for the Vikings with 3 ½ sacks and an interception.

It's almost a case of the rich getting richer as the Super Bowl champion Seahawks will be getting a six time Pro Bowler and five time first team All Pro player. Williams had contemplated retirement if he couldn't find a team that would give him a fair deal.

Williams won't be used as much as he was in Minnesota as the Seahawks favor a deep rotation for their defensive line.

Indiana quarterback Tre Roberson to transfer

After taking part in a two quarterback system last season with Nate Sudfeld, Tre Roberson has announced that he'll be transferring from the Indiana football program. Roberson's departure along with Cam Coffman's means that Sudfeld will be the Hoosiers' clear cut starter this season.

Roberson, who was Indiana's Mr. Football in 2010 was the program's first true freshman starter in 2011. A broken leg wiped out most of his sophomore season. He came back in 2013 to share the job (four starts) with Sudfeld. Head coach Kevin Wilson planned to employ the same two quarterback system that he used last year, which might've contributed to Roberson's departure.

“I want to thank the coaching staff, my teammates and Indiana University for all of their support over the last three years,” Roberson said. “My time in Bloomington will always hold a special place in my heart. I wish everyone at IU all the best as I move on to the next chapter in my life.”

For his career, Roberson threw for 2,433 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.  He added 10 touchdowns running the ball.

This comes as a surprise to many in the IU community as none saw this coming. I don't think pundits around college football or Wilson saw this coming, although he sounds content on move on with Sudfeld as his starter.

“We appreciate and thank Tre for his contributions to our football program both on and off the field,” Indiana coach Kevin Wilson said. “He is an outstanding player and a great young man. We wish him well as he moves forward with his career.”

Roberson is a dual threat talent who will be a sought after transfer. With his ability to make plays through the air and on the ground, look for plenty of high major schools to try to woo Roberson to their campus.  

 

Jury convicts Jason Mitchell in Sean Taylor murder case

A man identified by prosecutors as the greedy organizer of a bungled 2007 Miami-area burglary that ended with the fatal shooting of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor was convicted Tuesday of murder and burglary, and immediately sentenced to life in prison without parole.

A 12-person jury deliberated nearly four hours before finding Jason Mitchell, 25, guilty of first-degree felony murder and armed burglary. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy swiftly imposed the mandatory life sentence for murder, plus 40 more years for the burglary conviction.

Although trial testimony showed Mitchell did not fire the fatal shot, prosecutors say he is equally responsible for the slaying under the law.

Assistant State Attorney Reid Rubin said Mitchell hatched the plot that eventually involved five Fort Myers-area men after spending time at Taylor's home near Miami, where he saw the player giving friends and relatives thousands of dollars in cash. Rubin said Mitchell initially tried and failed to burglarize the home alone in mid-November 2007, returning with the group on Thanksgiving weekend to finish the job.

"It doesn't matter whether they planned to kill him (Taylor) or intended to kill him, he died as a result of that burglary and they are all responsible for it," Rubin told the 12-person jury in closing arguments. "At the center of it all was Jason Mitchell."

Mitchell did not testify in his own defense but he did confess to police in a sworn, videotaped statement. The man blamed for shooting Taylor, Eric Rivera Jr., was convicted last year of second-degree murder and sentenced to 57 years behind bars. Mitchell's lawyer, Robert Barrar, said Mitchell should be held responsible only for burglary, not for Rivera's actions.

"Sure Jason Mitchell was there. But Eric Rivera did it on his own, on a whim," Barrar said. "Jason Mitchell was not a part of any plan to kill anybody."

Mitchell showed no emotion when the verdict was read.

Taylor, 24, was shot in the upper thigh after confronting the group of burglars with a machete outside his bedroom door. The bullet severed Taylor's femoral artery, causing him to quickly bleed to death. In the bedroom when the shooting happened were Taylor's girlfriend and their infant daughter.

Police say the burglars thought Taylor would be out of town at a Redskins game, but he was home nursing a knee injury.

Aside from the confession, investigators found shoe prints at Taylor's house that matched Mitchell's sneakers and had cellphone evidence showing that Mitchell phoned another member of the group in the vicinity of the slaying that night.

Three other men were charged in the case and two are awaiting trial. Venjah Hunte, 25, previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and burglary charges in a deal that calls for a 29-year prison sentence.
Taylor was a Pro Bowl safety who had starred at the University of Miami. A first-round Redskins draft pick in 2004, Taylor signed an $18 million contract with the team and was becoming one of the NFL's top defensive players when he was slain.

"He had everything to live for," Rubin said. "Sean Taylor was on top of the world."

Just because Mitchell wasn't the trigger man doesn't mean he isn't equally responsible for the crime. It's good to see that justice has been served in this particular case.

Falcons' LB Sean Weatherspoon ruptures achilles; will miss 2014 season

The Atlanta Falcons defense was a weakness last season and were hoping to improve on last season's performance. The unit took a major hit today. Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has ruptured his Achilles tendon and will miss the 2014 season.

Weatherspoon suffered the injury on Tuesday while running under the supervision of the team's medical staff. Weatherspoon had been held out of the organized team activities as he was continuing his recovery from a foot injury that limited him to only seven games in 2013.

The loss of Weatherspoon, the team's first-round pick from Missouri in 2010, is a blow to the Falcons, whose 2013 season was marked by a string of injuries. Weatherspoon has eight sacks and two interceptions in his first four seasons.

Coach Mike Smith said in a statement released by the team on Tuesday night that Weatherspoon will have surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

“During Sean’s run today with our medical staff, he suffered an injury,” head coach Mike Smith said. “We sent Sean to the doctor for some additional testing and evaluation and unfortunately the results showed that he ruptured his Achilles tendon. Sean had been working extremely hard to get back on the field, but regrettably he will miss the entire 2014 season. He will have a procedure done in the near future and we expect him to make a full recovery.”

This will be a big loss unless someone steps up in his place. It's a major opportunity for someone to come in and make a name for himself.

Glam Girl of the week: Nisey Kamai

The Just Sports & Just Us Glam Girl of the week is Nisey Kamai.