I think that Paul Gasol is the most skilled big man in the NBA today with his ability to post on either block, the way he runs the floor, and the way he can shoot the mid-range jump shot.
I used to be a wait-at-the-rim big, more of a Rudy Gobert-type of player.
Inch for inch, the 6-foot-3 Westbrook is the NBA's most sensationally talented player, a relentlessly explosive basket-attacker with a deadly pull-up jumper - a top-10 NBA player by any big-picture statistical measure from Player Efficiency Rating to Win Shares.
I can't think of much higher praise to give a player than to say, 'This point guard reminds me of Jason Kidd.'
My shot-blocking ability, it's really second to none.
Any guard would love playing with a great big man, one who rebounds, blocks shots, and scores.
I know I can block shots and I've got to do it. That's part of my job as a big.
I think I can bring to the NBA versatility. I feel like the league is going toward four men that can pass, dribble, shoot, rebound, defend. I think I can do all that and bring that to the table at the highest level.
Being a presence on the defensive end, I know that's important to me, I have to establish that.
Whether I'm starting or coming off the bench, bigs have to protect the rim and can't give nothing easy to nobody.
I feel like I'm trying to change basketball; being a center, being able to play both sides of the ball and being able to pass as well as I can, that's a difference-maker on a team, especially at the center spot, so it's respect at all levels.
Al Horford is a very good player; a great team player.
I don't always match up with guys like Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum, but when I do, those guys are a challenge. Dwight, for example, is quick, explosive, and strong all in one.
I can speak volumes about the guy sitting next to me. You look at his stat line tonight, he had a lot of foul trouble and didn't really get going, but when he was in there, he was defending. He was playing physical, and he was doing everything he could to help us win.
It's the little things. That's kind of what I bring to the table in terms of doing things that might not show up in the box score. Diving for a loose ball, or switching out on a guard and getting that big stop, cutting someone's water off if they've made a couple shots.
Marvin Williams is solid, and he can shoot, and he'll definitely stretch the defense.
Lowry is a pitbull. He's a gritty player who scores in a variety of ways, but he's also one of the few guards who also does the things that go unnoticed on the stat sheet.
Marc Gasol, he's one of the hardest people to guard. His ability to pass, shoot, and his size is something that can be a benefit to him a lot.
I've started most of the time I've been in a Knick jersey, so I just think they want me to bring a certain energy every night. They want me to bring that defensive presence because they know I can make something out of nothing on defense, and I think they just want me to bring that defensive presence every day.
Most elite big men are high maintenance.
You can be a great defensive player, and if you don't put up splash statistics, then you're not going to get noticed.
Blocking a shot can really demoralize a person and defer them from coming to the rim the rest of the game. So being able to do that and change the landscape of the game by one play is pretty amazing.
That's what most players know about me, that I can change the game without scoring or even having a good offensive night.
I feel the need to really get after a guy defensively and showing that.
I don't really want to be cocky when I say this, but I really feel I can be one of the best rim protectors in the league, you know, as a rookie.
