Al Horford<\/a>, De\u2019Anthony Melton<\/a>, and Seth Curry<\/a> are among the new faces on the Warriors roster next season, and Gary Payton II<\/a> re-signed to return to the Bay. After a summer of uncertainty, Golden State is now positioned to make a run at Stephen Curry\u2019s<\/a> fifth NBA title. <\/p>\n And former Denver Nuggets Head Coach Michael Malone<\/a> identified one of the Warriors\u2019 new additions as a \u2018match made in heaven\u2019 for Stephen Curry. <\/p>\n Al Horford was Golden State\u2019s most notable signing<\/a> of the summer. He is likely to go straight into the starting five as an experienced big man who can replace Kevon Looney<\/a>, who is now a New Orleans Pelican<\/a>. <\/p>\n Horford brings championship experience and locker room leadership to the Warriors, but Malone also thinks he\u2019s an excellent fit for Curry on the court. <\/p>\n Speaking on NBA Countdown, he explained, \u201cSteve Kerr<\/a>, historically, has not been a big pick-and-roll coach. <\/p>\n \u201cThey haven\u2019t had maybe the players\u2026now, you\u2019re adding a guy [who in] in the last ten years is one of the most prolific pick-and-pop bigs the game has seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I think this is a match made in heaven. I know Steph Curry has to be really excited.\u201d<\/p>\n Malone\u2019s prediction rests on one big qualifier, however. Kerr has demonstrated an unwillingness to adapt his playing style throughout his tenure as the Warriors\u2019 head coach.<\/p>\n Even with Kevin Durant<\/a> on the team, Kerr wouldn\u2019t budge on his philosophy. Durant is one of the greatest isolation scorers of all time, and a pick-and-roll between Curry and Durant could have been one of the deadliest plays in the league\u2019s history. <\/p>\n Durant repeatedly expressed that he wanted to run the pick-and-roll more, but Kerr stuck to his offense, built around motion, ball movement, and off-ball actions. If he didn\u2019t change for Durant, he is unlikely to change for Horford. <\/p>\n Michael Malone points out key areas where Jimmy Butler has helped Golden State Warriors <\/p>\n The Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler<\/a> from the Miami Heat<\/a> last season and caught fire down the stretch heading into the playoffs. They were 23-8 with Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green<\/a> starting, and became a legitimate contender for the title. <\/p>\n Unfortunately, Curry\u2019s injury in the postseason<\/a> put an end to their hopes, but Malone explained why the Warriors had so much success following their trade for Butler. <\/p>\n He said, \u201cI go to Jimmy Butler and the impact he had last year. He had 25-3-8, and they had the number one defense in the NBA over that stretch. They played through Jimmy Butler when Steph was off the floor, and their free-throw rate went through the roof.\u00a0<\/p>\n Warriors after Jimmy Butler tradeStatisticNBA RankWin \u2013 Loss23-83rdFree Throw Attempts per game24.93rdDefensive Rating1091st<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited to see how Steve Kerr uses Jimmy Butler after their first training camp, and the addition of Al Horford, who is a really important addition to this squad.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Al](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2239589920-941x627.jpg\")
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson\/Getty ImagesMichael Malone says Al Horford is a perfect fit for Stephen Curry <\/p>\n