Death Lineup

The Death Lineup was a lineup of basketball players on the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2014 to 2019. Developed under head coach Steve Kerr, it began during their 2014–15 run that led to the Warriors’ first NBA championship since 1975. 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, a three-point shooting backcourt consisting of two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry, and perennial two-way All-Star Klay Thompson. It also featured versatile defender and 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala on the wing, alongside 2014 NBA MVP scorer Kevin Durant, and 2016–17 Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green at center. Green's defensive versatility was described as the "key" that allowed the lineup to be so effective; although his natural position was power forward, 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, who was replaced in 2016–17 by former league MVP and four-time scoring champion Durant; the new group 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. Their time together ended after the 2018–19 season, when Durant became a free agent and decided not to rejoin the Warriors and Iguodala was traded.