There's obviously a push to protect the quarterback, but you have to give the defensive players a chance. All of the quarterback has to do is pull the ball, and he's a runner. How's the defender going to know if the ball is pulled or not?
I'm not worried about offense. I've always had that, but I can get better defensively and that in turn will make my offense better.
That's how you get better on defense; not just 'oh, man, my guy beat me,' but you have to think about, 'okay, my man beat me, so I either have to pick up the next man, or I'm going to give somebody a foul.
Tony Allen is a good defender, very smart.
On the defensive end, I have to do my job.
You can teach defensive wizardry, but you need the talent to go with it. You have to be born with that natural defensive radar.
Even if I'm not a big guy, I have good footwork, I'm fast on the court, and I see the ball really early.
I realize I have to continue to work on defense. I think a lot of people have to work on defense.
I think my ability coming into the NBA is going to make it that much easier for me with the space and the different type of players here. I think just by the spacing alone is going to make my game that much easier and that much better for my teammates.
My shot-blocking ability, it's really second to none.
I know I can block shots and I've got to do it. That's part of my job as a big.
With the ball in your hands as the point guard, you want to be able to control the game and take care of it.
I need to work on defensive play and being consistent.
Being a presence on the defensive end, I know that's important to me, I have to establish that.
I've always felt I had the ability to be a good, elite defender in this league on the wing. I just need to lock in. I feel if I pick that up, I can be a very good all-around player.
I really wasn't a good defensive player at all.
I think I'm pretty good at pressuring the ball, forcing turnovers.
I always felt like I'm a good one-on-one defensive player.
I think I'm a great defender, to be honest.
I played defense in high school, so when the ball's in the air I feel like it's mine. No matter who it is or the situation, I feel like I've got to come down with the ball or at least knock it away.
Any good defensive team has a strong anchor, because he cleans up mistakes.
Defending isn't just about tackling and heading, it's also about getting the ball down and playing - starting the attack from the back.
I've been trying to figure out what mistakes I'm making defensively as far as help defensive stuff.
I've always liked taking the ball out of defence and I will carry on doing that but at the end of the day I'm a defender, and that's what I want to be known as - a defender, getting in the blocks and the headers that people don't recognise I do, the dirty stuff that every defender should do and should be good at.
Keeping up your concentration is one of the hardest tasks when you're a centre-back because a team like Bayern tend to dominate and can give you sense of false security.
