With the loss of Kevin Durant and, perhaps for the entire season, Klay Thompson, it's easy to focus on the offensive production the Golden State Warriors will be missing this year. But it's the defense that really stands to be the problem. Throw in the loss of Andre Iguodala, and Golden State is down its three best defenders from the last three seasons. 

In their place, you have D'Angelo Russell, a minus defender, and while Stephen Curry can pull his weight, he's not a stopper by any means. Also, Curry playing a secondary defensive role with Thompson typically taking the tougher guard matchup is a lot different than Curry just having to go straight up defensively with some of the best scorers in the league. Draymond Green, who is most useful as a switching defender, which requires other competent pieces with which he can switch, can only be in so many places at one time. 

Take when Golden State plays Houston, for instance. Russell and Curry will have to spend a lot of time guarding James Harden and Russell Westbrook. But in Steve Kerr's opinion, it's more than just the collectively lacking defensive ability of the Warriors' personnel; it's the age of the team as well. Kerr detailed his defensive concerns in an interview with Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

A few of the highlight quotes from Slater's piece:

"Our defense sucks right now," Steve Kerr told The Athletic. "We've been horrible."

"... Draymond can't guard everybody. He's been in the position he's been in because he could switch with Andre Iguodala, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Shaun Livingston. Those are four really big, strong wings. We don't have any of those guys this year. Draymond is a tremendous defender, but you're taking away the most important thing he did."

"Basic stuff, we don't understand," Kerr said. "How many guys do we have who are under 23? Eight, nine? Young teams usually struggle defensively. I don't think we're going to be any exception."

I recently wrote on the shortcomings of this Warriors team, which is all the more reason for Steve Kerr to ride Curry on the offensive end even more than he traditionally likes to do. Kerr likes an inclusive system. He likes to let Curry play off the ball and wants to keep his minutes to around 32 or 33 a game. That just might not be possible if the Warriors have any intention of getting into the playoffs, let alone with a decent seed. 

More than likely, the Warriors are going to have to outscore opponents in shootout fashion, and a high volume of Curry pick and rolls and general dependence on his one-man production is the only realistic path to doing that with any sort of consistency. Because, to Kerr's point, the Warriors are not going to be holding many teams down on the other end.