With 7 minutes and 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Warriors still led by 18 points at home—but Nikola Jokic buried a deep 3-pointer to seal a stunning buzzer-beater for the Nuggets.

How did such a dramatic collapse happen? Why does a Warriors team that once dominated the Nuggets now look so vulnerable?

The key lies in the Warriors’ small-ball lineup losing its edge. They’re drastically outmatched by the Nuggets in size and physicality. Will Draymond Green’s return help? While he might boost defensive intensity, he can’t solve the root problem.

This season, the Warriors were swept 3-0 by the Nuggets. Beyond the oft-discussed free fall of Andrew Wiggins’ performance, the Warriors’ roster turnover is the fundamental issue. The Nuggets’ buzzer-beater win offers a perfect case study for comparing the two teams:

Both the Nuggets and Warriors have refreshed their rosters, integrating young players and even rookies. But while the Warriors rely heavily on youth—even inserting them into the starting lineup due to veterans’ decline—the Nuggets have developed their youngsters off the bench, keeping their championship core intact.

Since 2020, the Warriors have drafted James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and this year, Lester Quinones and Trayce Jackson-Davis. As a recent championship team (2022), they haven’t aimed to slowly nurture these prospects; instead, they’ve thrown them into regular rotation or even the starting lineup to maintain roster vitality through on-the-job training.

It’s fair to say that from two generations of Warriors GMs to coach Steve Kerr, there’s been overconfidence in the team’s small-ball system. They believed that as long as the core of Draymond, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson stayed, the system and playstyle would allow anyone to adapt and sustain the team’s competitiveness.

This ignores the uniqueness of Curry, Thompson, Draymond, and Wiggins (from the 2022 title team). These players built Kerr’s system, not the other way around. Now, the NBA landscape has shifted again—especially with the rise of versatile, tall big men. Compared to these new talents, the Warriors’ lack of size and physicality has eroded their championship-level defense.

Kerr initially aimed to inject fresh blood to stay dynamic, but beyond Poole, the 2022 title had little to do with youth. Offense relied on the Splash Brothers, and defense on Wiggins and Draymond. The rushed development of Wiseman, Kuminga, and Moody showed in last season’s inconsistent play—and even created a rift, like Draymond’s punch on Poole.

This season, youth playing time skyrocketed: Kuminga joined the starting lineup midseason, Moody was rotated in and out, and finally, Jackson-Davis and Quinones both started—proof the roster was in disarray. Kerr became more dependent on rookies than ever.

Compare the lineups in the final 5 minutes of today’s game:

• The Nuggets closed with veterans: Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Jamal Murray.
• The Warriors started Curry, Thompson, center Kevon Looney, Wiggins, and rookie Quinones (who played well). With 3.5 minutes left, they subbed Wiggins for Saric and Looney for rookie center Jackson-Davis—putting two rookies on the floor (and avoiding a third, Kuminga, by sitting him).

The Nuggets use youth strategically. With 3 minutes left, they sent in 6’8″ Peyton Watson to guard Curry, who then missed two threes, committed a turnover, and a 24-second violation. The Warriors scored just 2 points from their rookie center in the final 3 minutes. With 2 minutes left, Murray drove and kicked to Watson for a clutch three, trimming the 18-point deficit to 4.

Facing the Nuggets’ playoff-level defense, the Warriors’ size and physical weaknesses were exposed. Kerr’s rotations only muddled things: the defensively shaky Saric at center, Quinones subbed out for Chris Paul, and then Jokic took over:

• With under a minute left, Jokic found Gordon for an alley-oop dunk, cutting the Warriors’ lead to 127-125.
• At 26 seconds, Jokic muscled past Saric for a layup, tying it 127-127—erasing the entire 18-point deficit.

The Nuggets do play young guys, but unlike the Warriors, their rookies (Kenneth Lofton Jr., Watson, and Julian Strawther) rarely start, barely play in final rotations, and all share a trait: they’re tall, long-armed, and can shoot and defend.

GM Calvin Booth explained the Nuggets’ philosophy: As a small-market team, they prioritize long-term growth over short-term rings. They’d rather chase two titles in four years or three in six than risk being derailed by one-and-done mercenaries.

Contrast this with the Warriors’ 2022-23 rush to integrate youth, and the difference is clear.

Too bad—for the Warriors, there’s no going back.