Warriors Small Ball Death Lineup Debut

Lore & Background

The lineup featured the Splash Brothers, a three-point shooting backcourt consisting of two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry, and perennial two-way All-Star Klay Thompson. It also featured versatile defender and 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala on the wing, alongside 2014 NBA MVP scorer Kevin Durant, and 2016–17 Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green at center. Green's defensive versatility was described as the 'key' that allowed the lineup to be so effective; although his natural position was power forward, he was able to play as an undersized center in lieu of a traditional center who might have been slower or lacked the playmaking and shooting abilities of Green. The lineup originally included Harrison Barnes, who was replaced in 2016–17 by former league MVP and four-time scoring champion Durant; the new group began to be known as the 'Hamptons Five'. The Death Lineup was considered to be indicative of a larger overall trend in the NBA towards 'positionless' basketball, where traditional position assignments and roles have less importance. Their time together ended after the 2018–19 season, when Durant became a free agent and decided not to rejoin the Warriors and Iguodala was traded.

In Their Own Story

The arena hummed with a nervous energy as the final minutes ticked away on the clock. On the hardwood, the usual giants of the league seemed dwarfed by the blur of motion in Warriors' blue and yellow. Draymond Green barked instructions near the three-point line, his eyes scanning for a mismatch, while Stephen Curry dribbled with deceptive calmness. As the defense collapsed to stop the ball handlers, Klay Thompson found himself open at the corner, the result of a perfectly executed screen that had no defender big enough or fast enough to contest it.

Reader's Guide

The Death Lineup was first deployed in the 2015 NBA Finals. After falling behind 2–1 in the 2015 NBA Finals, Warriors coach Steve Kerr inserted Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup in place of Andrew Bogut. Draymond Green moved from power forward to center, while Iguodala and Harrison Barnes, both traditional small forwards, were the forwards. The adjustment surrendered size and strength for speed and playmaking. The change was first suggested by Kerr's special assistant, Nick U'Ren. The five-man lineup of Iguodala, Curry, Thompson, Green, and Barnes had played together for 102 minutes during the regular season and 62 minutes through the first 18 games of the playoffs. The Warriors won 103–82 in Game 4, and captured the series 4–2 to win their first championship since 1975. It was not until months after it was deployed in the Finals that the Warriors small lineup was referred to as the Death Lineup, a phrase originated by Vincent Goodwill, then of The Detroit News. During the 2015–16 season, the Death Lineup was generally reserved to finish the first half and the end of games. It was deployed in 37 games, outscoring opponents by 166 points in 172 minutes for an average advantage of 4.5 points per game and 47.0 points per 100 possessions. In the 2016–17 season, the lineup became the 'Hamptons Five' after Kevin Durant replaced Harrison Barnes. The Warriors won the 2017 NBA Finals 4–1, and Durant was unanimously voted the Finals MVP. Injuries limited Golden State's use of the Death Lineup in 2017–18. In 2018–19, the Hamptons Five played more (178 minutes in 38 games) than in the previous regular season.

Did You Know?

• The Death Lineup was first deployed in the 2015 NBA Finals, not during the regular season.
• The term 'Death Lineup' was originated by Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News, not by Steve Kerr or media analysts during the 2015 Western Conference Finals.
• The iconic Death Lineup replaced the center with Andre Iguodala, making it a five-out configuration without a traditional center.
• Draymond Green's defensive versatility was described as the 'key' that allowed the lineup to be so effective.
• The 'Hamptons Five' nickname was coined by San Francisco Bay Area journalist Tim Kawakami.