The Golden State Warriors lost their season opener to the Phoenix Suns by a score of 108-104 on Tuesday night. The Warriors don’t need to dwell too much on close losses because of the presence of a crucial reserve like Draymond Green. Even though the final score made it seem like Golden State’s great effort against the Suns was unsuccessful, there was a lot to enjoy about the Warriors’ performance.

The most important insight gained by emphasizing procedure over outcome? The Suns’ superstar Kevin Durant was stopped in his tracks by Klay Thompson, who hailed his old Warriors teammate Andre Iguodala for helping him out.

It’s tough to contest shots from the top of the key, so if you’re guarding a big man, you should focus on using your quickness and hands to disrupt his shooting process. When questioned on Friday about his success checking Durant, Thompson remarked, “It’s nice to try and get a hand on the ball.”

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Even though Durant missed a number of open shots, Steve Kerr praised Thompson’s individual defense after the game, saying that he made life difficult for the two-time Finals MVP.

I really like listening to Klay. He tried his hardest to make Kevin’s life difficult, as described by Kerr. Once he gets that release above his head, there’s not much you can do. You need just get ahead of your duties.That’s what I thought Klay done. Off the field, he engaged him in physical contact. Tried to put him in some more difficult situations. Kevin omitted some that he will include the next time around. On defense, however, Klay was rock solid.

Naturally, Durant won’t need to take 22 shots every time he faces the Warriors in order to score 18 points. He should also be thanked for being slowed down by Jonathan Kuminga. Thompson’s performance against a longer, heavier player in the season opener was encouraging, especially considering the increased defensive demands of his new role.

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When Golden State plays a small lineup, it might be difficult to defend with Thompson at power forward. He lacks the height and length to be a consistent deterrent in the back line and has never been a disruptive, airtight help defender. Although he has never been an exceptional rebounder in his NBA career, Thompson clearly tried harder than usual to capture seven boards in the game against the Phoenix Suns.

Before his career-ending knee and achilles injuries, Thompson was never needed by the Warriors to compete for All-Defense honors. The more he adopts Iguodala’s characteristic defensive swipe, the more probable it is that he will be an answer on that end just by maintaining a high level of consistency while guarding scorers like Durant.