Klay Thompson was encouraged by what he saw from the Miami Heat defensively in their preseason opener, pointing to the athleticism and effort throughout the roster.

Thompson believes Miami has enough capable defenders around him to make things easier on the perimeter, giving players confidence that there is support behind them when they pressure opposing offenses.

“I thought it was great. I thought our defensive intensity was really good … our team is so athletic … I might be the worst defender out there and I got all-defensive teams under my belt.

“That’s a testament to the roster … makes my job so much easier … you have so much confidence when you have the guys behind us that we do …”