As the Golden State Warriors lost in shocking fashion 114-111 to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, much of their game felt like an exact copy of their midseason turmoil.
Since Jimmy Butler's acquisition, the Warriors have been one of the best offensive and defensive teams in the NBA, lifting themselves from a fringe-play in team to a contender for a top six seed in less than 30 games.
Yet against the Spurs, it seemed as if Golden State had returned to a stagnant offense, characterized by low-percentage 3-point shots and high turnovers, that had been their calling card throughout December and January.
While Butler's arrival has led to inspired play from almost the entire Warriors' roster, their biggest remaining weakness was on full display against San Antonio, and it could become the reason for their demise in the playoffs.
The Warriors are undersized and undermanned
Despite being a top five defensive team throughout the course of this season, bad losses for the Warriors have often largely been a result of the inability to defeat the opposing team in a battle of physicality.
A brutal loss 106-96 loss against the Houston Rockets on Sunday saw Butler and Stephen Curry essentially neutralized by the defensive length and intensity of Amen Thompson and others, leaving doubts in regards to Golden State's viability against Houston in a hypothetical playoff matchup.
In the matchup with the Spurs, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes -- who hit the game-winning three as the buzzer sounded -- combined for 41 points, using their size and physicality to bruise their way into Golden State's defensive interior.
Although Butler has been a stellar defender for the Warriors, his 6'7" stature often prevents him from contending physically with other teams' power forwards. At this stage of his career, the 35-year-old might be a better off-ball defender where he can use his defensive IQ to come up with game-changing steals.
Head coach Steve Kerr has recently shown a penchant for the team's smaller starting lineup configuration, which features 6'6" defensive master Draymond Green at center for extended stretches.
While in the playoffs Golden State could use their speed and nifty transition offense to run past teams that stick to bigger lineups -- such as the Denver Nuggets -- they may not always be able to counteract the offensive production given up by their lack of size.
If the Warriors offense remains inconsistent into the first-round of the playoffs, their lack of size could be a deciding factor and ultimately prevent them from a sustained postseason run.