Tonight was a difficult game for the Golden State Warriors, who ultimately pulled out the win against the lowly New Orleans Pelicans, 104-96. They notably did so without Stephen Curry, who is set to miss at least a week following a quadriceps contusion he suffered against the Houston Rockets earlier this week.

The Warriors dragged themselves through a defensive dogfight, surviving a brutal shooting night: 38-93 from the field, including 16-48 in the first half. Their rhythm completely disappeared, with every possession turning into a grind. Still, for keen-eyed viewers, tonight’s struggle hinted at the blueprint they’ve devised to operate in Curry’s absence.

“Once we started everybody else moving around him [Jimmy Butler], it opened gaps, and he was able to do what he did,” Draymond Green said in the post-game conference. “When Steph’s not out there, we definitely need him to be more aggressive, and he was tonight.”

That was the key.

Instead of continuing to chuck threes and hope that variance swung their way, the Warriors started implementing a new focus in the second half: getting to the paint.

With the addition of Jimmy Butler, Golden State added an elite inside-the-arc scorer, something they’ve lacked since Kevin Durant left the team back in 2019. His ability to draw attention to himself in the paint is the same quality that makes Stephen Curry dangerous from the three.

Consider that layups are much easier, higher-percentage shots for most NBA players; hence, the attention Butler draws to himself increases further, forcing opponents to try to cover him once he beats his matchup, opening up threes for the rest of the team.

Now, consider that the Warriors employ four people other than Curry and Butler shooting above 36% from three, and the formula is clear. This is something that defending NBA champions have mastered with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at their centerpiece.

“The best three-point shots are when you do touch the paint, and then you’re kicking out,” Green explained when asked about finding threes without Curry. “First half we were just around the perimeter and never got to the paint… Second half, we moved the ball a lot… we were able to get to the paint, and it broke their defense down a bit more for us.”

Clearly, this inside-out style is recognized by both the players and the staff as the fallback option.

The other thing that stood out was the system. After the first half, Golden State abandoned its traditional flowing motion offense in favor of more structured play calls, rather than trying to replicate Curry’s brilliance from the perimeter. The Splash Bro shines because of his exceptional off-ball movement; any long-time Dubs fan knows that Green is the team’s lead ‘point’ forward, and Curry’s ability to draw attention to himself is what makes him the lead playmaker.

However, trying to replace any one player with Curry is pointless; Steph is widely regarded as the greatest shooter of all time, and his skill in this area cannot be matched. So, with his absence, it only makes sense to switch from the “random” offense, like Green said, to a more structured, advantage-finding based offense.

Steve Kerr Explains the New Offensive Blueprint Until Stephen Curry Returns

Without Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stressed that generating good shots is about structure and process. Even tonight, when the Warriors went 12-47 from three against a Pelicans team that ranks just outside the bottom 5 in the league in defensive rating,

“If you take care of the ball and you get shots on goal, it just sets the game up,” Kerr highlighted.

Despite the shots not falling, the game plan was executed well.

The Warriors’ new focus also lends itself to a more team-oriented offense, similar to the systems run last year by the Memphis Grizzlies and this year by the Miami Heat, which can call for big performances from role players on any given night.

Against the Pelicans, this turned out to be Gary Payton II, who logged a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double by replicating the same role that Butler played: paint touches.

Kerr pointed out some of the advantages of this system, saying, “Your transition defense is better. It gives you a chance to get offensive boards.”

The results show up on the stat sheet. The Warriors managed 14 offensive rebounds, and that’s without their main backup center.

Now, the next week, when the Warriors face the OKC Thunder, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, will serve as a test for Kerr’s system and show how the team can survive without Stephen Curry.