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.
When you play guard, you're not going to block a lot of shots. Inside, you're going to block shots.
Tony Allen is a good defender, very smart.
Being a presence on the defensive end, I know that's important to me, I have to establish that.
I really wasn't a good defensive player at all.
I think I'm a great defender, to be honest.
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.
Anytime you're a defensive player and your eyes aren't on your key, you're going to have an issue.
My goal is to protect the basket. Most of the time, I won't block the shot but I'm going to affect the shot or I'm going to affect the way they think.
Being 6'7' as a point guard and playing with Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley on the Clippers really helped refine my post game and play with my back to the basket.
I was a great help-side defender in college, but as far as really wanting to lock somebody up, that was never really my focus.
I think my wingspan helps me out on defense, because I can cover a little more ground and block a few more shots.
I just don't get hit a lot. That's what I'm good at.
You look at Kawhi Leonard, Tony Allen, Draymond Green: they are great on ball, and they are great team defenders as well. You want to be both of them, not just one.
I haven't played defense in a couple years.
It's just always been a knack for me to play defense.
I feel like I've improved immensely in terms of my defending, not only in one-versus-ones but also with my positioning.
With all the talk of the 3-point line, it's still most important to build your defense inside to out.
I think I'm underrated on defense. I try to use my length and feet and put pressure on players.
Being able to guard the pick and roll makes you a high asset in the NBA.
I could handle the basketball but I wasn't quick enough to move defensively. Offensively, I was fine. I could get around, I could do stuff, but defensively I wasn't quick enough. I couldn't keep up. That was the biggest thing. And that was at the Division II level.
Bogut - I wouldn't be the defender I am without Bogut. He taught me a ton. Angles. How to guard the post. You name it, he taught me a ton.
