Jacques Plante Quotes

To me, the make-up of a modern defenseman, the No. 1 thing is the processing skills.

The bigs are there on the help-side if the guy goes by me, and I'm able to switch to other offensive players.

I haven't played defense in a couple years.

I'm the first player in history that doesn't want to play defense and still gets in foul trouble.

Running in transition and scoring in transition, prevents you from setting your defense up on the other side.

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.

I think I am a good help defender as well as just bringing a lot of communication to the floor.

Goaltending can steal you a series.

I really wasn't a good defensive player at all.

I'm a defender, and my first job is to make the team secure at the back; that's my primary responsibility.

I'm a 6'1' guard, but I'm blessed to have a wingspan of 6'7'. I have good lateral movement. For me, fighting over screens and using my hands, I kind of get tips on the ball. People don't understand getting a hand on the ball - not just stealing it - means a lot, especially in this league because everything happens so fast.

I like consistency in defenders.

I think I stand up more often than I should on defense. I've got to be solid and continue to get better.

I think I'm a great defender, to be honest.

The thing in basketball is you always want to be free. I don't want to be hugged up to my guy. When we're body to body, I want to control you.

I was a really good ice hockey player when I was a kid. Now in the aftermath I think I wasn't maybe big enough, and I couldn't have put on enough muscle to actually be able to play with the better guys, but I was a really good skater.

I like to have the puck when I have speed. You know, then I'm dangerous.

I think I'm underrated on defense. I try to use my length and feet and put pressure on players.

If a guy is shooting a shot in the corner 70 percent of the missed shots usually come off that other side and 30 percent hits off the front rim so just playing the percentages and kind of studying your teammates' shots throughout the course of the game.

If you drive right, and your big is standing to the right, dish and keep going to their big - you grab an arm, maybe pull - so that they can't contest. You only get called for it once in a while.

The important thing to understand, from my point of view, is if the opponents break our lines and they are attacking our box, something has gone wrong, and it is me who has to fix it. But fouls in football are normal. You have to do it sometimes.

I'm a defender first and foremost - blocks, headers, vital tackles, or even just the communication side of it, which is massive but doesn't really get recognised.

I've always loved blocking shots.

Growing up, I'd never play goalie in street hockey or at shinny. I liked playing out. So the entire time I played goal, I liked handling the puck better than most.

I love when people think it's going to be easy to guard me.