There were always risks involved in starting a lineup consisting of Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Draymond Green — the most obvious of which is the fact that Green is a 6’6” (generously) center who is counted on to guard opposing centers who may have as much as a five-to-six-inch height advantage against him. Having a 7’1” wingspan makes up for a ton of that discrepancy — but more often than not, height will prevail over heart.
In that regard, the Orlando Magic presented a unique challenge for the Golden State Warriors, who — in the Butler era — hadn’t really faced the kind of height and length across the board the Magic possessed in abundance.