They have championship potential but are limited by injuries! The Warriors, with double benefits, will only be stronger in the new season!

Many teams are actively strengthening their lineups during the offseason, and the Warriors’ most significant addition is the signing of Horford. Compared with other teams, they have not made many lineup changes, but they are still a team with championship potential. This column will help you understand through in-depth data analysis.

Last season, the Warriors management traded Wiggins as the main body in exchange for Jimmy Butler. It was also considered to be a trade of the future in exchange for immediate combat power, which gave people hope for the championship. Butler's arrival has greatly improved the overall strength of the Warriors. Since Butler's arrival, the Warriors have won 23 of the 31 games they have played. One of the eight games they lost was due to Butler's absence. Starting from the time Butler played for the Warriors, the Warriors' remaining regular season winning rate reached 74.2%, ranking third in the league. Such an excellent record also allowed the Warriors to advance from the edge of the play-offs all the way to the playoffs.

Although Curry's injury in the playoffs resulted in the eventual loss to the Timberwolves in the semifinals, people are aware of the overall strength of this Warriors without injuries. Therefore, the Warriors did not significantly change the core lineup during the offseason. At the same time, they signed veteran center Horford at almost no cost to reinforce it. So how suitable is Horford for the Warriors?

Judging from the preseason, although Horford's basic data looks mediocre, his assist rate accounted for 19.5% of the total number of balls handled. His assist rate per 100 possessions was 23.5%, and his assist-to-turnover ratio was 2. Excellent three high-level assist statistics mean that he is very suitable for the Warriors' passing system. Even as a center, he has an efficient assist performance.

Although Horford has not yet found his outside touch in the Warriors' preseason games, it is only a matter of time for a very experienced space-based insider to find his touch. Coupled with his role in defense and rebounding, this all-around space-based inside player has helped the Warriors to greatly strengthen their weakest center position in the past. This is one of the benefits of the Warriors' new season.

The second benefit is the revision of the rules for the new season, especially for fouls that violate the shooter outside the three-point line. In the past, many of the slight contacts that affected the shooter when defending outside shots, as well as unidentified fouls after the ball was released. Explicit contact will not be considered a shooting foul, but the NBA has revised this rule in the new season. As in the past, the Warriors' preseason shots from outside the three-point line were the highest among all areas. This has also benefited the Warriors, who take a lot of three-pointers, especially Stephen Curry.

Only in the low-intensity preseason games, Curry has repeatedly caused three-point shooting fouls by his opponents. In the regular season and even the playoffs, the intensity of the confrontation between the two sides will only be higher. In that case, Curry is obviously more likely to cause opponents to foul and score easier free throws, while his teammate Butler is a master of drawing fouls. With the core lineup unchanged, the healthy Warriors will only become stronger.