Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors knows that playing defense in the N.B.A. is difficult. As one of the league’s elite scorers, he causes his share of problems by launching 3-pointers from distant outposts. But he also has to spend about half his time trying to prevent opponents from doing the same.
“The game has become so spread out,” he said. “You’re out there on an island against these guys.”
Still, it is a challenge that Thompson has long embraced — and takes seriously. He is a connoisseur of basketball highlights on YouTube, not so much to pick up moves from opposing players but to figure out how to stop them.