The Kuminga saga or Jimmy Butler’s ACL tear doesn’t put a magnifying glass on the Warriors’ biggest problem the way a Stephen Curry injury does. His return was further delayed, and he missed his sixth straight game when the Golden State Warriors played against the Boston Celtics tonight. That hiatus could go longer. And as the bruising 110-121 loss tonight proved, Curry’s absence creates an identity crisis for the entire team.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Steve Kerr bleakly admitted the absence of Stephen Curry has stripped the team of more than just its best shooter. “Well, what we already know is that it’s harder for us to play two bigs without Steph,” Kerr said in his post-game remarks. “Steph defies all rules of spacing, and without him, it’s just trickier to play two bigs.”

Kerr relied on Draymond Green and Al Horford as well as their newest acquisition and former Celtics player, Kristaps Porzingis. Yet this new dynamic also needs work at building chemistry. Yet the experimentation is not as effective as having a superstar in the rotation.

“This league is built on, you know, star players and playing through stars, and a big part of that is just the confidence that those guys bring,” Kerr admitted after taking a couple of minutes just to emphasize how Draymond, Horford, and Porzingis are a good team. “We’ve got to learn to play without Jimmy [Butler] and Steph both. And that means, you know, bringing the juice, bringing the energy, finding a little bit of swagger without those guys. And it’s not easy, but we have to do it.”

Despite touting the abilities of the veteran stars remaining in the rotation, Kerr had to concede that without Curry’s gravity, the team’s traditional lineups are failing.

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Steve Kerr hints at a pivot for the Warriors

The loss to Boston highlighted a glaring lack of urgency that Kerr believes must be corrected before Sunday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets. Despite finishing with 30 assists and only eight turnovers, statistics that usually signal a Warriors victory, Kerr pointed out that the team’s “competitiveness” didn’t arrive until it was too late.

The head coach is now demanding a more physical style of play to compensate for the lack of “mythical” star power on the floor. To be clear he’s not implying something crazy like Draymond Green inviting suspensions. He wants “fast,” “take care of the ball and crash, get second opportunities,” and prioritize offensive rebounds and transitions.

That’s a prominent departure from the rhythmic, pass-heavy motion offense that Curry’s presence facilitates. The Warriors have to score in the paint instead of beyond the arc. With Curry officially sidelined for at least the next week due to a lingering knee injury, Kerr is reinventing the lineup for the final gauntlet of the regular season to ensure their survival in an elite Western Conference.