Warriors turning glaring weakness into a strength

Small ball identity is at the center of this team's biggest problems, and best win conditions

The Golden State Warriors should be fairly synonymous with small ball at this point. Ever since Don Nelson was at the helm, the Warriors have believed in playing your best, most dynamic talents, regardless of size.

Playing for some time without their best player, Stephen Curry - and now without Jimmy Butler for a bit too - the Warriors responded by signing another Curry, Seth. Listed at 6’1” and all of 185 pounds, it wouldn’t seem to be the most glaring initial fix on paper. And yet, the last game against the OKC Thunder was incredibly close for any team; much less a Warriors team that was playing without their two best players.

Tonight, the injury list is extensive (again). Curry remains out, Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, Al Horford, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Quinten Post are all listed as Questionable. But, all of this is buoyed by the rumored return of De’Anthony Melton. A player that seemed to have an oversized impact on winning last season, Melton is finally back from the knee injury that ended his overly short, but successful previous season with the team.

Welcome back!

On the other side of the fence, the Philadelphia 76ers are playing banged up. Joel Embiid is Doubtful, and Paul George and Quintin Grimes are both Questionable. Sadly, our old friend, Kelly Oubre Jr. is also out. If you haven’t seen this team yet, keep your eye out for Tyrese Maxey, and and fellow young guard, VJ Edgecombe have been deadly on their good nights this season.

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GAME DETAILS

WHO: Golden State Warriors (11-9) at Philadelphia 76ers (11-11)

WHEN: Thursday, December 4th, 2025; 4pm PST

WATCH: NBCSBA

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Too small? Pfft, that’s the point!

Both of the teams tonight are at a similar point in their lifecycle. Built around dimming starts at the end of their arc, the results of building role players and support structures around this core have been spotty. Positive in spots, but dreadfully underwhelming in others.

But the Warriors and Sixers differ in one major regard: the chase for size. The Sixers are trying to build around Embiid’s unique blend of size and talent. They’ve run through front office personnel, staff, and players trying to make it all come together, but the machine has never really found success at the highest level.

On the other side of the equation, the Warriors have eschewed size - at least when they couldn’t find it. Andrew Bogut aside, no traditional big has ever played more than a spot role in coach Steve Kerr’s frenetic, motion-heavy offense. Instead, the players who have thrived have been solid defenders, or solid offensive options; the team just does not prioritize chasing size over skill. It’s a design choice.

Years ago, some front office executive (maybe Bob Myers) talked about this as a sort of “market inefficiency” of the current league. There are certain subset types of players that are just generally cheaper and easier to obtain. They’re smaller. Perhaps less athletic, or with a limited skill set, but elite at something that the Warriors are trying to do.

So yeah, it is a bit jarring to see the Warriors, struggling to stay above .500 and playing without their star to announce that their big new move is… another small player. And yes, watching the minutes battle play out between players like Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, and Ty Jerome feels a little silly in the modern NBA.

But these players have proven to be effective.

Golden State was down by as many as 22, but came back to make it close enough to look real interesting with just a few minutes left in the game - when the Thunder stepped on the gas and pulled away for their 13th straight win. Pat Spencer was in the middle of that comeback. He scored 15 of career-high (tie) 17 points in the second half. Seth chipped in 14 points, two rebounds, and two assists in his first game with the team since preseason.

And yes, I think it is more than a little funny that this team’s rotation debate is now coming down to micro-managing the minutes split between a bunch of players that are all my size or smaller. Large by commercial airline / block the view at concerts standards? Sure. But against the average of the NBA? Tiny, tiny guys.

And yet, this is the Warriors calling card. I don’t know, maybe they don’t like their options with big players, maybe they feel like they need shooting and ball handling more than big, broad shoulders, but whatever the reason, it’s clear that the Warriors are comfortable being too small.

On many nights, this glaring weakness cannot be overcome. But when the machine hums, size matters a whole lot less. This is basketball, a bucket-to-bucket comparison against two teams that may not look a whole lot like one another.

So now, here comes melting and Seth Curry. I'm into it. They both fit well within the Warriors scheme and have demonstrated the ability to positively impact the team.

Will it work? That’s far from certain. The NBA window may have slammed shut with a thunderous clang. But the Warriors promise to remain one hell of a ride.

Prediction

Good times had by all, road Warriors pick up a badly needed win, but it’ll be tight.