Tristan Thompson Quotes

Not all players want to play defense. You get in foul trouble, you're going to be on the bench.

I'm starting to figure it out - figure out my spots, where I should be on the court, where I'm most effective, and how I handle double teams - and it's paying off.

You're going to play me different if I have the ball, even if I'm at 75, 80 percent, just for the simple fact that you do not want me to make that three. That's helping my team out.

I don't back down. Like, I don't know how to flop. That's never been a part of my game. For me to know if a guy likes to turn left shoulder or right shoulder in the post, I have an advantage. Or if he likes to go left all the time, I have an advantage. Or if he can't make open jump shots, I have an advantage.

Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.

Corner is the easiest three in basketball.

The first year I kind of struggled to find where my shots was coming from, when to cut, where to be.

I just try to make the right play, stay aggressive and defensively just do what I do. I make sure I talk to everyone and control the paint.

Any good defensive team has a strong anchor, because he cleans up mistakes.

The contention is if you don't do it in the first quarter, if you don't box out and control the glass in the first quarter, you are not going to do it in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Basketball players want to be comfortable, they want to be lackadaisical, they want to make the right passes and take the right shots.

You have to defend the perimeter guys otherwise you're going to struggle getting playing time or staying on the court.

You can't just sit back and think you're gonna pack the paint in and win games. You've gotta guard that three-point line.

You don't want your opponent to score. You don't want your guy to score and once you get better at it, you get used to it, it becomes a mindset. You just try to do it every game.

Defense, for me, is where I really love to put work in most. Defense is, in my mind, what wins games.

I learned so much from Sue about the Xs and Os of the game of basketball.

Always have your players go and pick-up the guy who draws the charge.

Offence doesn't concern me. It's easier for people to get layups than it is to get stops on defence or a block.

Defense all starts with the ball and the rim-protector is the last resort, the last line of defense. I take pride in that.

You give me enough shots, I'll average 20. You give me a particular system where I stick close to the basket, I'll average 10 rebounds.

We need to play tough defense and have a sound offense. But mostly, we have to outrebound the other team.

I want to guard the best wings and big on every team. I want to make their night tough to gain that respect defensively around the league.

New York basketball is about defense.

I'm not the strongest, I'm not the fastest, I can't jump the highest, so for me, it's doing it in other ways: changing paces, using your body to get open, knowing your defender. A lot goes into it. You have to study the game.

I want to make sure the other point guard can't start his offense until 12 or 13 seconds. Then I've put my team in position to defend just one pick-and-roll and one pass.