Since his return from injury on Christmas Day against the Dallas Mavericks, Al Horford has completely overcome his early struggles with the Golden State Warriors at the start of the season.
Horford is now looking exactly like the player the Warriors envisioned when they signed the veteran center in free agency, but his addition could be even more important if the Warriors can realize their Giannis Antetokounmpo dream before next week's deadline.
Al Horford would be perfect teammate for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Golden State is emerging as one of the lead suitors for Antetokounmpo in the wake of his trade request, with many analysts believing they have the most to offer if the Milwaukee Bucks are truly willing to strike a deal before the deadline.
Horford is starting to prove why he was always seen as a perfect fit in the Warrior system, but he too would seem like a perfect front court teammate for Antetokounmpo after the pair have previously been playoff rivals.
Antetokounmpo's interior dominance has always been suited to playing alongside a floor-spacing big man, most notably with long-time Bucks center Brook Lopez and now more recently with Myles Turner.
Horford would provide just that, having found his 3-point stroke since his return from the sciatic injury. Combine that with his passing and defensive versatility, and you have an excellent frontcourt combination before even factoring in franchise legend Draymond Green.
Speaking of Green, if he wasn't to be included in an Antetokounmpo trade, would he for certain remain part of the starting lineup? Horford has taken the starting center role next to Green, and makes much more sense next to Antetokounmpo if a deal got done.
Since returning from injury, Horford has averaged 8.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, shooting an efficient 48.4% from the floor and 40.6% from 3-point range on over four attempts per game. Just as importantly, he has the second-best plus-minus on the team during this period, ranking only behind De'Anthony Melton.
Steve Kerr confirmed after Wednesday's victory that Horford's minutes restriction had been lifted to around 24 per game, making him an obvious starter when available. Golden State are 2-0 since he entered the starting lineup, with the 5x All-Star doing a bit of everything in a strong nine-point, five-rebound, eight-assist, three-block performance against the Jazz.
Horford is already proving his importance and value to the Warriors, but he might become even more significant if the front office can pull off a blockbuster deal for Antetokounmpo in the next week.