SAN FRANCISCO -- For a philosophical guy like Steve Kerr, the metaphor was almost too obvious.

To start a year in which the loss of Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, along with an ACL injury that will keep Klay Thompson out until at least the All-Star break, has most doubting that the Golden State Warriors can make a sixth straight NBA Finals trip, the franchise has literally started from the ground up -- holding Monday's media day in the freshly constructed Chase Center in San Francisco. Outside of the four returning staples -- Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Thompson and Kevon Looney -- members of the media were doing double-takes, looking at printed rosters and consulting each other as unrecognizable Warrior after unrecognizable Warrior made the rounds.

"This is such a dramatic change from where we've been over the last four years that I think it allows for more change, more internal evaluation, what can we do better," Kerr said of the 2019-20 version of the Warriors. "You know, the new building is almost a metaphor for how we can approach the season. We've got a chance to reset some things. Anything we feel like could improve our team, it's a great opportunity to start fresh on some things."

Kerr's metaphor was apt, of course, but it was another player's comparison that might more accurately sum up the challenges Golden State faces over the next few weeks, and into the season.

"It's like being a new kid at school," said Willie Cauley-Stein, entering his first year with the Warriors after spending the previous four in Sacramento. "You get to write your own narrative. You get to change habits that you had before and kind of take on a whole, entirely different entity."

In the wake of the departure of Durant, Iguodala and Livingston, general manager Bob Myers and the Warriors front office have decided to go young, taking a chance on a few promising players teams have given up on -- namely Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III and Omari Spellman. They had mild success with the same formula last year with Alfonzo McKinne, who ended up playing a more significant role than expected in the playoffs. Even D'Angelo Russell, whom the Warriors signed to a max contract after a breakout, All-Star season with the Brooklyn Nets, would have been considered one of these young cast-offs just a couple of seasons ago after an unfulfilling start to his career with the Lakers.

And if the recent additions are the new kids at school, that makes Curry, Green and Thompson the confident, letterman jacket-clad seniors, ready to clear out room for their doe-eyed freshman classmates at the lunch table.

"At the end of the day, it's just about continuing to do the things that help me be successful and helped me lead teams in the past, and it's just a level of awareness and trying to be as proactive as possible trying to make everyone comfortable building chemistry and leading by example," Curry said. "I don't have to change much in that respect."

Cauley-Stein's "new kid at school" metaphor is insightful, not just in the sense that the new players need to get to know each other, but also in the way it represents the journey ahead of this franchise. Just as teenagers struggle to find their voice and path in the world, so too must Golden State figure out its next steps after a historic five-year run.

"We want to maintain the culture that we've built, but we want to make sure our players are put in the best position to succeed, and the last four years we pretty much knew exactly what that meant," Kerr said. "We don't really know what it means this year. That's why we have a lot of work ahead, but it's exciting. I'm looking forward to it."

Simply put, the Warriors are a team in search of an identity. The familiar high-IQ, quick-hitting passing and ball-movement oriented offense could give way to more pick-and-roll and isolation. The versatile, switching defense that has devastated opponents for the past five seasons could transition into more traditional rotations. We don't know, and the Warriors certainly don't either. At least not yet.

"We've just got to find our identity," Green said. "We've got to figure out and kind of toy with different things throughout the preseason and figure out what works the best for this group. But I don't think it'll just be your typical status quo, oh, somebody is coming off a screen-and-roll, switch, or how we've been playing in the past because it's not the same team. It's not the same personnel. We've just got to figure out what it is. Once we figure that out, we'll be fine."

The potential decline of the Warriors was hastened by a chaotic NBA offseason that saw at least six teams become legitimate title contenders, making Golden State's bid for a return to grace even more unlikely. It was an incredible whirlwind, as Myers explained on Monday that he had only a few precious hours to figure out the team's next move after finding out Durant's intentions to sign with Brooklyn on the first day of free agency.

The ensuing days, weeks and months saw the Warriors' roster transform from one of the most unambiguous entities in the NBA to perhaps its biggest question mark. Kerr cautioned fans not to judge the roster on Day One, but rather enjoy the journey and evolution as they grow together in a new city and a new building.

"Well, I think we all knew this was inevitable at some point," Kerr said of the roster turnover. "It doesn't make it any easier when you lose guys who you've counted on, become close with, and so, so much change in the offseason was really -- even though we knew it was coming at some point, it's still jarring. We've gone to battle with these guys for so many years, and so you just -- you look back with great memories, and you make sure you don't forget those relationships, but you move forward with a new sense of beginning and possibility.

"So it's just an entirely different feel, different vibe, just like it is sitting in this room [at Chase Center] for the first time for all of us. Everything is new this year, and that comes with a lot of opportunity and a lot of thought and a lot of creativity, and I think we're all excited about all of it."