Al Horford is likely to prove a massive addition to the Golden State Warriors this season, but that’s not to say the franchise is completely comfortable with their center rotation according to one Warriors insider.
Nick Friedell of The Athletic recently pointed to the addition of another big man as Golden State’s likely mid-season move (if any), suggesting that the front office may realize that Horford isn’t enough given they’re currently limiting him to 20 minutes per game.
Warriors might realize they need more support for Al Horford
Horford has already rested from a pair of back-to-backs early in the season, with Friedell believing the Warriors could look at additional depth depending on what happens ahead of the mid-season deadline.
“I would just say another big man, because you know what you’re going to get from Draymond,” Friedell said. “I know Horford has started slowly, but again, he’s Al Horford and he’ll be fine. If you had one more big man just for depth purposes, I think that could help them. But let’s see how the next couple of months play out.”
Horford was excellent in Golden State’s thrilling overtime victory against the Denver Nuggets last Thursday, scoring 13 points on 3-of-4 from 3-point range while helping to limit 3x MVP Nikola Jokic to 8-of-23 shooting from the floor.
Aside from that performance, it’s been a slow start for the 39-year-old as Friedell alluded to. Horford is currently averaging 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting only 36% from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc.
Golden State’s center rotation has been an early concern to start the season, with Quinten Post also shooting just 36.8% from the floor and averaging only 12.7 minutes per game — well down from his rookie season.
Post was perhaps the biggest positive with 12 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday’s 98-79 victory over the L.A. Clippers, yet played less than 10 minutes two days later in a 120-110 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Third-year big Trayce Jackson-Davis has seen just 26 minutes for the season including three DNPs, suggesting Kerr is struggling to maintain consistent trust in his young center duo. Combine that with Horford’s management and it’s easy to see why Friedell believes the front office could move for a big man mid-season.
Who the Warriors could get remains to be seen, but expect them to explore different opportunities as they look to take advantage of this current two-year window with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
