The Death Lineup was a lineup of
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
players on the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA) from 2014 to 2019. Developed under head coach
Steve Kerr, it began during their 2014–15 run that led to an
NBA championship
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
. Unlike typical
small-ball units, this group of Warriors was versatile enough to defend larger opponents, while also aiming to create mismatches on offense with their shooting and playmaking skills.
The lineup featured the
Splash Brothers
The Splash Brothers are a duo of American basketball players consisting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The two guards play professionally for the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Considered among the gre ...
, a
three-point shooting backcourt consisting of two-time
NBA MVP
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 ...
Stephen Curry, and perennial two-way All-Star
Klay Thompson
Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A four-time NBA champion with the Warriors, he is a five-time NBA All-Star ...
. It also featured versatile defender and 2015 NBA Finals MVP
Andre Iguodala
Andre Tyler Iguodala ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The swingman was an NBA All-Star in 2012 and has been named to t ...
on the
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
alongside scorer and one-time MVP
Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...
, and 2016–17
Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green
Draymond Jamal Green Sr. (born March 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, who plays primarily at the power forward position, is a four-time N ...
at
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
. Green's defensive versatility was described as the "key" that allowed the lineup to be so effective; although his natural position was
power forward
The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...
, 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
Harrison Bryce Jordan Barnes (born May 30, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being sele ...
, who was replaced by former league MVP Durant in 2016–17, when the group also 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.
The Death Lineup ended after the 2018–19 season, when Durant left the Warriors for the
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
and Iguodala was traded to the
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
.
Origins and first championship
![1 steve kerr 2019 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/1_steve_kerr_2019_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In
2014–15, Golden State won 67 games in the regular season, led by
NBA MVP
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 ...
Stephen Curry. The Warriors' starting lineup with the
Andrew Bogut
Andrew Michael Bogut (born 28 November 1984) is an Australian former basketball player who spent the majority of his professional career playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The tall center was selected by the Milwaukee Buck ...
at
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
played 813 minutes together and outscored opponents by 19.6 points per 100 possessions. After falling behind 2–1 in the
2015 NBA Finals, Warriors coach
Steve Kerr inserted
Andre Iguodala
Andre Tyler Iguodala ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The swingman was an NBA All-Star in 2012 and has been named to t ...
into the starting lineup in place of Bogut, who had been named to
NBA All-Defensive Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...
in 2015.
Draymond Green
Draymond Jamal Green Sr. (born March 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, who plays primarily at the power forward position, is a four-time N ...
moved from power forward to center, while Iguodala and
Harrison Barnes
Harrison Bryce Jordan Barnes (born May 30, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being sele ...
, both traditional
small forward
The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger t ...
s, 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, who was a fan of the lineup because it always seemed to pick up the pace of the game to a faster speed, which the Warriors preferred.] He had also been watching video of the 2014 NBA Finals, when the series turned after San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
coach Gregg Popovich
Gregg Charles Popovich (born January 28, 1949) is an American professional basketball coach and executive who is the president and head coach of the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Taking over as coach of the Spur ...
increased the tempo by switching to a small-ball lineup with the Boris Diaw
Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod (born April 16, 1982), better known as Boris Diaw, is a French basketball executive and former player who is the president of Metropolitans 92 of LNB Pro A. Diaw began his playing career in Pro A and returned to that l ...
at center. The Spurs defeated the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...
and LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
, who was now back with Cleveland facing Golden State. U'Ren anticipated that Iguodala would have the same impact for the Warriors.[
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.][ Although the tallest player was only , the unit was also strong defensively.] They were all able to switch
In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...
on defense, spearheaded by Green's ability to guard players taller and heavier than him. The Warriors won 103–82 in Game 4, and captured the series 4–2 to win their first championship since 1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
. In the last three games, they defeated the Cavaliers by a combined 42 points, and the new starting unit outscored Cleveland 107–87 in their 49 minutes together.[ Iguodala was named the Finals MVP, becoming the first player to garner the award without starting every game in the series, as well as the first winner to have not started a game during the regular season.
]
73-win record
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
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...
''. Despite the unit's success, the 2015–16 Warriors continued to start a traditional lineup with Bogut as their center. Golden State won an NBA-record 73 games behind Curry's league-leading 30.1 points per game and an NBA-record 402 three-pointers made in a season. He was named the MVP for the second straight season, becoming the first unanimous winner in league history. During the 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.[ Despite their regular season success, the Warriors lost the 2016 NBA Finals, becoming the first team to lose a Finals series after being ahead 3–1.]
Hamptons Five
During the off-season, Golden State signed former league MVP and four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...
to replace Harrison Barnes
Harrison Bryce Jordan Barnes (born May 30, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being sele ...
, who had averaged just five points and made only 5 of 32 shots during the last three losses in the Finals. With Durant leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...
, the Warriors' opponents in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, the move was seen as a disruption in the competitive balance of the NBA, and the Warriors instantly became title favorites. The move gave the Death Lineup four players who have averaged at least five assists in a season. While Barnes was a good defender, Durant also added a shot-blocking element to their switching defense.[ ]San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
journalist Tim Kawakami Tim Kawakami is the editor-in-chief for the San Francisco Bay Area edition of ''The Athletic'', a subscription-based, sports journalism website. Previously, he was a sports columnist for the ''San Jose Mercury News''. In addition to his print column ...
coined the nickname "Hamptons Five" for the new group, which included the four players who traveled with team officials to The Hamptons
The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island, consist of the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, which together comprise the South Fork of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. The Hamptons are a popular seaside resort and one of ...
to recruit Durant.[ Durant was impressed that all four players showed up and respected his play. They convinced Durant that he was wanted even though they had already won a championship and came within a game of winning a second. Curry, asked by Durant why he wanted him to join, assured him that he was focused on winning and not concerned with being the face of the franchise, despite being the two-time defending league MVP. The Warriors won the 2017 NBA Finals 4–1, and Durant was unanimously voted the Finals MVP. Kerr had used the Death Lineup for just 16 minutes in the series until deploying it for 17 in the Game 5 clincher. Iguodala scored 20 points in 38 minutes after averaging less than 30 minutes in the first four games of the series. Kerr used him in the small-ball lineup in lieu of big men ]Zaza Pachulia
Zaza Pachulia ( ka, ზაზა ფაჩულია; born Zaur Pachulia; February 10, 1984) is a Georgian professional basketball executive and former player who is a basketball operations consultant for the Golden State Warriors of the Nati ...
(10 minutes) and JaVale McGee (0).
Injuries limited Golden State's use of the Death Lineup in 2017–18. Opponents had also adapted by rarely leaving their centers in the game against the Warriors' small lineup. Through 49 games, the unit had a -1.2 plus-minus rating.[ However, it was still considered the team's most potent lineup.][ In the final 17 games of the regular season, the Warriors were 7–10 with Curry missing all but one game after an ankle and later a knee injury. Durant, Thompson, Green, and Iguodala each missed four to eight games as well. In total, the group finished the regular season with 127 minutes played together over 28 games, outscoring their opponents by a mundane 22 points. In Game 4 of the conference semifinals in the 2018 playoffs, Kerr started the Hamptons Five with Durant for the first time ever, and they posted a plus-minus of +26 in 18 minutes to lead a 118–92 win over the ]New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
, giving Golden State a 3–1 lead in the series. After eliminating the Pelicans in five games, the Warriors continued with the starting lineup in the conference finals to build a 2–1 series lead against the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
. Golden State won the series 4–3, but Iguodala missed the last four games with a bruised leg. The Warriors entered the NBA Finals for the fourth straight time versus Cleveland. They swept the Cavaliers in four games, leading to their third championship in four years.
Fifth consecutive Finals
In 2018–19, the Warriors acquired DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Amir Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Boogie", he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wil ...
, who was recovering from a ruptured left Achilles. He gave Golden State a top-flight, true center for the first time under Kerr, and they became the first team in 42 years with a starting lineup of five All-Stars from the previous season. While the Hamptons Five played more (178 minutes in 38 games) than in the previous regular season, Kerr played the lineup of Cousins, Durant, Curry, Thompson and Green more (268 minutes in 21 games) to integrate Cousins into his new team.[ In Game 1 of the opening round of the 2019 playoffs, Kerr went to the Hamptons Five early, using them to quell a rally by the ]Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
. The coach called the lineup "the best five-man unit in the league". Cousins finished the game with a -17 plus-minus. The Warriors eliminated the Clippers in six games, but Cousins tore his left quadriceps
The quadriceps femoris muscle (, also called the quadriceps extensor, quadriceps or quads) is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the sole extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large ...
in Game 2, and he was initially thought to be out for the remainder of the postseason. In a sign of respect and with an increased urgency, Kerr opened the following round against Houston by starting the Hamptons Five for the first time in the season. The Rockets featured two of the top one-on-one, pick-and-roll
The pick and roll (also called a ball screen or screen and roll) in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen (pick) for a teammate handling the ball and then moves toward the basket (rolls) to receive a pass. In the NBA, ...
players in James Harden
James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA ...
and Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...
, and the coach wanted Iguodala's defense in the starting lineup to counter. In Game 2, each member of the lineup scored at least 15 points, the first time for a Warriors starting unit under Kerr, and Golden State jumped to a 2–0 series lead. Houston countered the Warriors' small unit by playing forward P. J. Tucker
Anthony Leon "P. J." Tucker Jr. (born May 5, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns. He was the 2008 Israe ...
at center along with four guards, forming a lineup of five shooters all or shorter, and tied the series 2–2. In Game 5, Durant suffered a strained right calf and left with 2:05 remaining in the third quarter; he was later ruled out indefinitely. With Curry and Thompson struggling with their shooting, Durant had been their best player in the playoffs, averaging a team-leading 35.4 points entering the game.[ However, Curry led Golden State to a Game 5 win after scoring 16 of his 25 points after Durant exited.][ The Warriors captured the series on the road in Game 6, when Thompson scored 21 of his 27 in the first half, and Curry collected all of his 33 points in the second half.
In the Western Conference finals, Golden State swept the ]Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
4–0, with three of the wins including comebacks of 15 points or more.[ After starting nine consecutive games,][ Iguodala missed the deciding Game 4 with a sore left calf injury from Game 3.][ Curry averaged a series career-high 36.5 points, the highest average by a player in a four-game sweep in NBA history. He and Green both had triple-doubles in Game 4, becoming the first teammates in NBA playoff history to achieve the feat in the same game.] The Warriors became only the second team to reach five straight NBA Finals, joining the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
(1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
–1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
). Golden State was down 3–1 in the 2019 finals to the Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
when Durant returned in Game 5. The Hamptons Five started the game, but Durant ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the second quarter. The Warriors lost the series in Game 6, when Thompson tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. Both Durant and Thompson were expected to miss most, if not all, of the following season.
Aftermath
After the 2018–19 season, the free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
Durant announced that he would sign with the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
, while Thompson agreed to re-sign with Golden State. Eyeing a replacement for Thompson while he recovered from his injury, the Warriors traded Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
in order to free salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...
space to acquire All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Danté Russell (born February 23, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in 2014 and played college ba ...
in a sign-and-trade
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), a sign-and-trade deal is a type of transaction allowed by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) where one franchise/team signs an unrestricted free agent or restricted free agent player to a new c ...
package with Brooklyn for Durant. After Durant's and Iguodala's departures, Warriors CEO Joe Lacob
Joseph Steven Lacob (born January 10, 1956) is an American business executive who is a partner at Kleiner Perkins and the majority owner of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Early life and education
Lacob gr ...
announced his intention to eventually retire
Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload.
Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
their numbers.
In 2019–20, the Warriors moved into their new arena, Chase Center
Chase Center is an indoor arena in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The building is the home venue for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and occasionally for the University of San ...
, which includes a hallway featuring drawings of each member of the Hamptons Five. Golden State finished with a league-worst 15–50 record. Thompson missed the entire season rehabbing his injury, and Curry was limited to five games all season after breaking his left hand in October. The Warriors' season ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Iguodala returned to the Warriors in 2021–22, and Thompson made his return in January 2022 after being out for 941 days. The Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals over the Celtics for Golden States' fourth title in eight years. Curry was awarded his first Finals MVP.
See also
* Cavaliers–Warriors rivalry
The Cavaliers–Warriors rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. The rivalry primarily focuses on the four consecutive NBA Finals appearances between the two te ...
Notes
References
{{Golden State Warriors
*
Nicknamed groups of NBA players
Basketball strategy
*