What changes will the Warriors employ?

Warriors Stephen Curry with Steve Kerr and Klay Thompson after loss to Kings

The Golden State Warriors may not have been the pioneers of the five-out and delay action schemes but they sure do it the best out of any other team in NBA history. Steve Kerr has found a way to make the whole league revolve around them with his complimentary usage of stagger screens, off-ball movements, pin-downs, and constant relocation to the perimeter. This unlocked the full potential of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. But, their NBA Play-In loss to the Sacramento Kings proved that there needed to be changes.

Much like a lot of great coaches in the league, Steve Kerr noted that some new schemes needed to be employed. This was such that the Warriors could have a viable offense in the coming years. He outlined his plan involving Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson amid the looming schematic shakeups, via NBC Sports.


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“I think the offense can help the defense. The game has always been connected. I think we’ve had a unique style for 10 years that’s mainly based on the off-ball movement of Steph and Klay, and the unique nature of Draymond being a point center, for lack of a better expression. We have unique players, so we’ve played a unique style,” Steve Kerr declared about their historic success.

He then added how he plans to revamp the Warriors’ offense after they struggled to find their identity this season and lost to the Kings.

“I need to create a simpler format. We’re still gonna do a lot of the things that we’ve done. We can’t go away from what has helped make us successful. But I think I need to teach it better, I need to simplify some things, I need to give our guys a little better template for how we’re gonna accomplish it,” the Warriors head honcho declared.


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The Warriors’ offense as of late

Mar 27, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr substitutes guard Stephen Curry (30) against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter at the Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports© Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Finishing 10th in the Western Conference is surely not ideal. The league had the Warriors’ schemes all figured out and the Kings were able to take advantage of them in the NBA Play-In Tournament. A huge reason for this is because the Warriors offense is not what it used to be. They netted an offensive rating of 117.8 before bowing out early in the postseason. Their 117.8 points per contest was also not a big help. This is good for ranking eighth in the league but is also a far cry from their previous standings.

To put it into perspective, the Warriors notched the second most points on a nightly basis back in 2022-23. Scoring 118.9 per contest allowed them to be ranked second in the NBA. Ker might want to find a way to get back into that groove come fall.


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“As I said, when you connect the game and you can make better decisions offensively, it translates to the defensive end and you become a better team. I gotta do a better job of that,” he concluded.

The Warriors ended the year with a 114.4 defensive rating while allowing 117.1 points per game. This made them sit at 17th and 21st in the league respectively. Hopefully, he is able to pick things up such that the big three of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson get to stay intact.