Post Play Quotes

Every season, I've adjusted. My first couple of years it was still banging in the post and doing all the nitty gritty stuff. Over the years, it's changed to bigs being able to shoot and run the floor and be more agile, which is good for me because I'm a very agile guy.

I do all the dirty work: play defense, grab rebounds, block shots and finish strong around the rim.

I'm a big-guy guy. I look at guys like Shaq, Ben Wallace, guys who play inside and play tough. I don't pay much attention to the little guys; I like the big guys who do the dirty work.

We've changed a lot of things to help certain groups of people. We widened the lane from 6 feet to 12 feet to 16 feet to make it so the big guys aren't as dominant. Well, why didn't we just say, 'You've got to learn to play against them in the post?'

I don't think you ever want to be too settled, because once you become settled, you lose a lot of your drive. I mean, I am settled off the court; the business side of things, the papers, contracts and all of that, but there are a lot things that I need to work on, on the court, like my free-throw shooting, which has been terrible. I need to work on being more demanding in the post. My teammates are going to come to me and I just need to go out there and score in the post, which will open up things for our guards.

I'm kind of a dirty guy, a little Bill Laimbeer-ish. Those are the guys I used to watch growing up. I used to watch Karl Malone; now I watch Boozer and Elton Brand and try to emulate those guys as much as possible because those guys are about the same size as me.

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.

Al Jefferson. One-on-one on the post, man, can't guard him.

I've been working on my defense and my inside game.

I still have my back to the basket because there's going to be times where I'm going to really have to score down low, but I'm really working on my face-up game because in the league, there's more space, and there's not double-teams and triple-teams coming at you like how it was in college.

The value of a Bismack Biyombo is the speed and agility that he has at the center position.

I don't know what my label is. I just think of myself as a plain forward. I like to think I have some finesse to my game, but inside the paint is where men are made. If you can't play there, you should be home with your mama.

I think my versatility is a big strength. I don't think anybody can guard me, just because I'm 6'10 and can dribble and play point. If I have a little guy on me, I take him to the post. For me to be able to then pass the ball, it helps me a lot.

Kobe Bryant was the reason I started playing basketball - always was and will be my favorite player of all time. I love the way he could get his shot off, his footwork down in the post, just his determination to be the best player.

At the end of 2003, my game was complete. Shooting, defense, using the dribble, transition, midrange stuff was all there. Then it was about fine-tuning and trying to improve in each area.

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.

When you're wide, you're taught to try and get in at the far post so the ball doesn't go straight across, but from that central position, you can use your instinct where to go.

I feel like I don't get enough credit for my low-post game.

I feel like I can defend three different positions: point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards who don't want to play too much in the post.

Shaq is such a load. He's so big and strong, but it's possible to play well against him.

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.

He doesn't necessarily have to learn the sky hook. He just has to learn how to be an effective post player. I think I can help him do that.

For bigs, we usually have three simple moves - and the hook-shot is one of those moves that's a forgotten art. But it's always been an effective move in our league.

It's tough to get wings deep post catches when you're playing with two bigs all the time.