The Golden State Warriors went as small as they have all season, and it paid off.
In a 104–96 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday at Chase Center, coach Steve Kerr deployed a micro-lineup that featured no player taller than 6-foot-8 for long stretches.
With the Warriors missing big men Trayce Jackson-Davis (knee) and Al Horford (sciatic nerve), Kerr turned to creativity — shrinking the floor, upping the speed and leaning heavily on Jimmy Butler III’s isolation scoring to stabilize an offense still adjusting without Stephen Curry.
Steve Kerr Explains Warriors’ Bold Small-Ball Strategy
The shift began early.
With 7:40 remaining in the first quarter, Kerr subbed out Quinten Post and Draymond Green, inserting Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II to reshape the lineup on the fly.
Kuminga slid to center, flanked by Butler and Moses Moody, while Payton II and Brandin Podziemski anchored the backcourt. Golden State later downsized even further, bringing in rookie Will Richard and sharpshooter Buddy Hield for Butler and Moody. The Warriors essentially played five wings and guards for key stretches.
“Trayce was out tonight with the knee issue,” Kerr said. “Before the game, we went through the possible matchups and decided that Jimmy and JK could be a good combo at the four and the five, trading off who they were guarding depending on what was happening out there. They did a good job together.”
The strategy worked: Golden State generated better spacing, quicker rotations and more driving lanes — the foundation for Kerr’s small-ball philosophy.
They hit more threes (14-7) and scored more points inside the paint (52-48) to beat the Pelicans.
Jonathan Kuminga Returns With Impact, Hits Two Key 3-Pointers
Kuminga, returning from a seven-game absence due to tendinitis in both knees, made an immediate impact. He received a loud ovation when he checked in during the first quarter and scored quickly on a cut-and-layup off a Butler feed.
In the fourth quarter, he hit back-to-back 3-pointers that helped stabilize Golden State’s lead. Kuminga finished with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes.
“JK looked good,” Kerr said. “He hit two big threes for us in the second half. His wind and his burst will come back — he’s a little rusty — but I thought he looked good for his first game back.”
Though he grabbed just one rebound, Kuminga’s floor spacing and switchability were crucial for a team that lost the rebounding battle but compensated with better paint touches and ball movement.
Gary Payton II Delivers Season Highs as Warriors Lean on Jimmy Butler III
With the Pelicans loading extra defenders at Butler, Payton feasted on backdoor cuts, dump-offs and loose-ball opportunities. He scored a season-high 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, shooting 9-of-14 from the field and adding three assists.
“Stay in space,” Payton said. “Get the ball to Jimmy, let him work, operate and just play off Jimmy. Cut when he drives, play behind the defense, and just try to get easy ones.”
Butler, meanwhile, nearly posted a triple-double with 24 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, shooting 7-of-15 from the field and 10-of-14 at the line. His poise in structured sets helped offset Curry’s absence.
“Yeah, we definitely called a lot more plays tonight,” Green said. “Without Steph, it’s a lot less random. We’ve got to be more structured. We need to move the ball faster, and when you’ve got an advantage, you’ve got to keep that advantage.”
Steve Kerr: Jimmy Butler III Is ‘One of the Best ISO Players in the League’
Kerr emphasized that Golden State’s late-game offense flowed through Butler by design.
“Jimmy’s one of the best ISO players in the league,” Kerr said. “One of the things we work on all the time is our spacing around Jimmy when that ISO happens. And Gary’s got a great feel for working the dunker spot, working behind the play, creating those openings.”
With Curry sidelined and the Warriors needing alternative engines of offense, Butler’s elite isolation footwork and Payton’s well-timed activity proved to be the difference in a game Golden State had to grind out possession by possession.
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