Why ESPN projects Warriors to win second-fewest games in West

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How many games will the Warriors win this season?

Well, Golden State fans assuredly will have a passionate response to one projection out there.

An ESPN algorithm has the Warriors registering 31.2 victories, good for the second-fewest in the Western Conference.

Yes, you read that right. It is not a typo.

"It's certainly possible the Warriors' newcomers will outperform projections accumulated without the same kind of talent around them, but Golden State also can't count on (Steph) Curry staying healthy," the article says. "He missed an average of 22 games in 2017-18 and 2018-19, long before the Warriors were worried about draft positioning.

"Without Curry, projected to play 54 games, Golden State will again be lacking in efficient shot creation."

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Clearly the variable regarding the two-time NBA MVP's health had a huge impact on the projection. But even if Curry misses 18 games -- and the rest of the roster is fully healthy for the most part -- it would be very, very surprising if the Warriors end up with the second-worst record in the West.

RELATED: KOC identifies 'make-or-break' stat for Oubre with Warriors

The roster is way deeper and more talented compared to last year's squad that went 15-50.

Let's bookmark this one and circle back in a couple months.

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