You can't really teach rebounding. You can teach how to box out, but rebounding, that's something you've got to have in you.
You've got to learn the footwork, the positioning, how to box out, how to pass, how to shoot your free throws. All these things are necessary, not to be the No. 1 player in the world, but maybe you can play against him.
Be tough. As a big guy, it's what your teammates expect from you, to be strong. Set good screens offensively and box out at the other end. It's a simple technique. I learned it when I was little.
Blocking out is everyday, every drill, all the time. We run sprints every time someone does not blockout.
I always laugh when people ask me about rebounding techniques. I've got a technique. It's called just go get the damn ball.
In the playoffs, it's win or go home. You might not have a chance to look back at a game and say, 'Man, we didn't box out here.'
To be a great offensive rebounder, you have to think like a defensive rebounder and battle for position while also being in the flow of your offense. And then it's just being determined.
A rebounder, or a shot-blocker for that matter, is always at a disadvantage if he tells himself the only way he can succeed is by out jumping the guy next to him. Sometimes he will have to, but most of the time he will not. Most of my rebounds came from positioning, where I was able to get the ball while in heavy traffic.
On any longball, people try to outjump each other. I don't mind a big jump, but to be honest, the only thing you have to do is fight for the spot where the ball is going to land.
I think guys that play basketball really understand how to go up and get a ball. Because in a rebound situation, you've got to go up and fight for a ball. Just boxing out. There are a lot of things that transfer.
So with the skinnier guys, you definitely want to make sure you get a body on them; that's how you take away big guy's length, by getting into their bodies.
I feel like I have everything else as far as being creative and athletic. But it's the little things that's going to push me over, like ball-handling, passing, boxing out when I'm setting screens. Little things like that that you would overlook that can make me a complete player.
I think that's my job to be a little nasty - to bring that energy, protect the paint and really just protect our guys. That's the role of a big man. It's not cute; it's not pretty being a big. You have to come in and do the little things, do the dirty work.
