DeMarre Carroll, now of the San Antonio Spurs, believes he's capable of providing the defense that San Antonio sorely needs.

In a recent interview, Carroll noted that defense has been his main thing ever since. As such, he's expecting legendary head coach Gregg Popovich to give him the task of leading the defense.

Last year, the Spurs uncharacteristically struggled on the defensive end of the court. Perhaps, that's the main reason why they brought in a defensive-minded player like Carroll this season.

“That's been my forte since I've been in the league,” Carroll said Wednesday after practice, per David Flores of Kens5. “You know he's going to rely heavy on me to go out there and try to perform, or even be a veteran leader and get some of the guys to perform.

“I think that's the main focus this year – defense,” Carroll said. “We've got a lot of guys coming back or they brought in that are defensive minded. I think we can have a little punch to that, and try to really focus more on defense.”

For Caroll, the key to playing great team defense is communication and intensity. Today's game is filled with a lot of potent scorers, so a team must put emphasis on defense.

“I think it's talking and the will,” Carroll said. “There's a lot of offensive players in the league now. They're going to score the ball. It's the end of the game, the nitty-gritty time, when you can get stops. Hopefully, we can be that team that's got that grit.”

With Carroll on the team and DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way, the Spurs have a pretty strong chance of making the playoffs again. They are looking to continue their legacy as one of the best organizations in league history.