The Golden State Warriors nabbed their first win of the season against a shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans team, winning big by going small. Head coach Steve Kerr deployed a lineup of Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, D'Angelo Russell, Glenn Robinson III, and Draymond Green. The final result was a 134-123 victory.

Not only did the sixth-year helmsman give the rookie Poole his first start, but he opted to do what the front office said they would try to avoid this season: play Green full-time at center.

Warriors brass couldn't have guessed that Willie Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney would suffer injuries. A lackluster effort from Marquese Chriss after he got the nod against the Oklahoma City Thunder pushed him right out of the starting five and into a deep bench role, playing only nine minutes in a blowout win.

Poole started to make Kerr look like a genius to start the game, burying his first three long-range attempts after scuffling in recent games. The rookie shooting guard is not gun-shy about letting them fly, and that showed early on, giving the Warriors the type of start they needed after playing catch-up most of the preseason and the first two games of 2019-20:

Curry was able to find himself more open and get better looks at the basket, something Kerr made a priority ahead of this game. If splashing home a 39-footer is any indication, he was in a groove on Monday:

Yet the biggest star of Monday's game was Green, who triple-doubled for the first time this season, pouring in 16 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists, none more beautiful than this picture-perfect dime to Robinson, who reversed it home:

Curry, Russell, and Green combined for 29 of the team's 37 assists, a welcome sign for a team that led the league in assists per game the last five seasons. The Warriors also got a surprise showing from Damion Lee, who poured in 23 points off the bench.

Yet this current model is simply unsustainable.

Kerr knew he could go with Green at center with the bulky Derrick Favors listed out for the game. The Warriors also caught a break with Jrue Holiday, the team's best player, also missing the action — not to mention Zion Williamson's absence, which could extend well into December.

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Green dominated the boards and was a big part of the Warriors' playmaking, but the sheer toll of banging for rebounding position, being the team's last line of defense, and being in charge of the playmaking schemes is simply too much for a player to keep up for another 79 games.

The Warriors trotted out a lineup that would make former coach Don Nelson proud, looking like this on paper from point guard to center: 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, 6-6, 6-6.

Sure, the Warriors were outrebounded the Pelicans by 20, but they were severely undermanned, which speaks more to the matchup than the construct of this tough Western Conference.

It's good for the Golden State Warriors to have the proverbial monkey off their back, but let's hit the breaks on their playoff hopes until they show more signs of all-around progress against better, healthier teams.