It was a day to celebrate everything that was right with

, and maybe that’s why the smile disappeared Wednesday from the face of the

guard when his greatest imperfection was broached.

The Rookie of the Year trophy rested beside him, the product of a pretty jump shot, great court vision, steely poise, and an uncanny ability to finish at the rim. But his true greatness was revealed once the subject turned to his one weakness - defense.

His smile faded, his eyes narrowed and his words became more firm.

“When people say stuff about my defense, it bothers me,’’ Lillard said. “And I’m aware of it. It drives me. It lights a fire under me.’’

If that attitude and drive doesn’t convince Trail Blazers fans that the franchise is in good hands, maybe this will: The wheels are already in motion for Lillard to workout and study defense this summer under the tutelage of the greatest defensive point guard ever, Hall of Famer Gary Payton.

“He said ‘I want to help you,’ ’’ Lillard said of Payton. “He said it would take time for me to become a defender, but he said I have everything to become one. So this will be the summer where I get in the gym with him and try to learn from him.’’

Payton has taken an interest in Lillard because both hail from East Oakland, which has also produced NBA point guards Jason Kidd and Brian Shaw. Lillard and Payton also share the same agents - Aaron and Eric Goodwin. Lillard said Payton first reached out at the end of his college career at Weber State, but Aaron Goodwin said Payton’s interest intensified in January after watching Lillard score 37 points at Golden State.

The next day, Aaron Goodwin got a phone call from Payton.

“Gary said ‘This kid has more than I ever had, than Jason (Kidd) ever had, than Brian (Shaw) ever had,’’ Goodwin said. “Now, this is big, because Gary always considered himself the best. And he said ‘I want to help this kid get his defense down. Because if he gets better defensively, he will be the best to ever come out of the California area.’

"Now that’s from Gary; that’s Gary admitting this kid is special. From Gary Payton, that takes a lot.’’

If anyone needed convincing that Lillard is indeed special - he was the fourth unanimous Rookie of the Year - or that he is serious about improving his defense, he drove home the point during his acceptance speech on Wednesday.

“I want everyone here to know that I expect more next season from myself,’’ Lillard said. “Winning this award is just letting me know that everything I did up to this point, it paid off.’’

In other words, more hard work is ahead.

Payton this week is in China, and later this summer he will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. There is no set-in-stone date for the two to begin their defensive seminar, but sometime between now and September, the two will meet.

As one can imagine, Blazers general manager Neil Olshey is thrilled at the notion of the franchise point guard working out with the only point guard to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

“The more time Dame spends with Gary this offseason, the more I know Dame will respect that he has to give an incredible effort on the defensive end,’’ Olshey said. “Because if Gary is going to invest time in him talking about defense, Damian is the type of kid who will feel like he has to deliver.’’

It’s not that Lillard was horrible on defense as a rookie. But it clearly was the area that suffered during season when the Blazers asked him to do so much: play 40 minutes, be a high-volume scorer, and run the offense. And for much of the season, the Blazers didn’t have a capable backup, which placed added importance to Lillard being on the floor. If he was in foul trouble, the team was doomed, which led to Lillard playing some soft defense once he got an early foul.

“It’s my job this summer to get enough talent behind him where he is not forced to make every play and every decision for 40 minutes a night,’’ Olshey said. “And defensively, he was far more aggressive, far more engaged once we got Eric Maynor (in February). So I think he is going to become a good defender - some of which is in our control - getting him down to 35 minutes, creating better defensive schemes, and some of it just Damian learning the league. But he is a quick study, which is huge defensively.’’

Defense is not like a jump shot. You can’t lock yourself in a gym and develop it like a three-pointer. As Lillard sees it, defense takes a three-pronged approach.

“One, you have to be in good shape. Two, you have to want to do it. And three you have to learn the way of the league,’’ Lillard said.

It’s a lot to ask of Lillard, to remain the dynamic scorer and the catalyst of the Blazers offense, while also becoming a factor defensively. But Lillard has already shown that he should never be counted out.

“I don’t see why it’s impossible,’’ Lillard said of being a two-way player. “It will be tough, without a doubt. But I have enough inside of me where I can score the ball, make plays, and still defend. It’s part of the game. ‘‘

And mostly, it’s part of the drive and fire that will fuel him this summer. The great players always add something to their game over the summer. Lillard and Payton are counting on that addition to be defense.

“I know I’m a better defender than I showed at times,’’ Lillard said. “Next year I can’t wait to show people that they can’t say ‘He’s good with the ball but on defense he has a hard time.’ Because ... they will see.’’

--Jason Quick