Adam Taylor, Warriors WireSun, November 30, 2025 at 11:00 PM UTC·2 min readThe Golden State Warriors secured a much-needed 104-96 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. During the game, Steve Kerr opted to test out an ultra-small lineup, with the tallest player on the court measuring in at 6-foot-8. In fairness, Kerr's options were slightly limited due to the absence of Trayce Jackson-Davis and Al Horford, both due to injury.
When speaking to the media after the game, Kerr was inevitably questioned about his small-ball experiment. The veteran head coach provided an interesting and well-thought-out response, with defensive switchability at the core of his decision-making.
“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.”
Kerr's experiment clearly worked, as the Warriors got back in the win column, bringing their season record to 11-10. Now, with two days off before their next game, Golden State will be get some much-needed rest before facing the 19-1 Oklahoma City Thunder. Given the strength of their next opponent, it will be interesting to see whether Kerr continues to test out a switchable yet small rotation, especially against a team as dominant as the Thunder.
It's been a bumpy start to the season for the Warriors. As such, every win is important and provides an opportunity to build momentum. And, while it's unlikely that the small-ball rotation we saw on Saturday becomes a consistent feature, it's important for Kerr to gather data on potential curveball lineups while we're still early into the season. After all, you never know when going small for a stretch could change the flow of a game.
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This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Steve Kerr explains the reason for going small vs. Pelicans
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