Pau Gasol believes the Chicago Bulls' system on defense will maximize his attributes on that end of the floor.

The Bulls won't have Gasol guarding "stretch four" forwards on the perimeter and will allow him to use his length to defend the rim.

"I've always been more of an offensive-minded player," Gasol said. "But my shot blocking I think always has been a little under the radar. With this defense, I'm going to be in the paint a lot protecting the rim. I think I'm going to have a pretty good season defensively. This group of guys covers so much ground. There's a lot of length and athleticism and activity. That makes it easier for everyone."

"He can do better," Tom Thibodeau said of Gasol. "He has done well, but I think he can be great. That's what I want him to be. He has great length. He has great timing. He's smart. He can anticipate. He's still not communicating as well as he's capable of, but he has done well thus far."

"This system is all based on activity and intensity," Gasol said. "Just picking up that fact and then what's going to make our defense great is working together and communicating. That's what we're trying to build."