Al Horford is shaping up to be the perfect center for this Golden State Warriors team. However, the combination of his age and the lack of reliable options behind him make that proposition as scary as it is exciting.
It's not exactly a secret that the Golden State Warriors have been in need of a steady starting center option for some time. Up until the Horford signing was finalized, we were living in an extended period of time where the Warriors' coaching staff was trying a bunch of different things to make the center position work, but it was always clear that they needed a more high-level option.
There were plenty of rumors involving Nikola Vucevic, Walker Kessler and others for years. Now, Horford is the guy and I think those in the Warriors' locker room couldn't be more thrilled about that being the case.
With that said, Horford is not as young as he once was. He turned 39 back in June, meaning that he'll be turning 40 before the end of next year's NBA Finals. Al has remained a steady option even despite his age, and any Boston Celtics fan will tell you that. With that said, things have to slow down at one point or another.
Horford is great — but Golden State's depth is lacking
And to be completely honest, we already saw a bit of a statistical drop with Horford's numbers this past season in Boston. He shot the lowest percentage from the floor of his career, and his three-point shooting mark fell below 40% for the first time since the 2021-22 season. But the Celtics were still unhappy to lose him due to their lack of other solid options.
That's sort of where the concern for the Warriors comes in, because they're going to be likely leaning pretty heavily on Al for the majority of the upcoming regular season. The 39-year-old will have to play probably close to 30 minutes per night while having the expectation of being a major cog for a group that has legitimate championship aspirations.
What other options does Golden State really have at center? Quinten Post is still largely unexperienced, and there's no telling if Marques Bolden will be on the roster during the regular season. That means that if Horford goes down due to injury or has to rest, it could be a very bad situation.
Steve Kerr will have his work cut out for him when it comes to getting the most out of Al Horford while also not over-extending him. The man wearing number 20 will be a big asset to the Warriors without a doubt, but he's going to come with his own challenges as well.