The expected free agency signing of Al Horford will not only deliver the Golden State Warriors with a veteran center who can stretch the floor at a high level, but it will also bring another underrated element that shouldn't be ignored upon the 39-year-old's arrival.
The Steve Kerr system over the last decade has been predicated on having big men who can pass at an elite level, starting with Draymond Green who's formed an incredible chemistry with Stephen Curry and previously Klay Thompson.
The recently departed Kevon Looney was/is a good passer, though his other offensive limitations forced him to the bench and at times out of the rotation altogether. As his replacement of sorts, Horford will provide the added shooting while also being a distributor that Kerr and the Warriors can use in different ways.
The Warriors will have another savvy big man passer in Al Horford
Recently speaking on Hoops Tonight with Jason Timpf, Sam Esfandiari of the 'Light Years Podcast' outlined the lack of front court playmaking that Golden State have endured when Green has been off the floor in recent times.
"One of the biggest things Al would bring to the Warriors is -- it's not playing Draymond and Horford together, it's having 48 minutes of having one of them on the floor at all times," Esfandiari said.
The development of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as dominant on-ball players in recent years has relegated Horford into more of a spot-up role, something that he's still proven very valuable in as a 40.9% 3-point shooter over the last three seasons.
Horford's assist numbers have been on the decline over the past four years, but in fairness so too have his turnovers at less than one per game during the same period. His early tenure in Boston perhaps provides a greater indication of what he could do within the Warrior system, having averaged 5.0 and 4.7 assists over his first two years as a Celtic in 2016-17 and 2017-18 -- the two highest of his career.
As a Warrior Horford could get much more opportunity posting up and hitting teammates diving to the rim on split-cut actions, or finding Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield as they fly around the perimeter trying to spring free for 3-point looks.
Horford will also have the IQ, experience and skill to catch the ball and immediately execute a dribble hand-off, something that's been a staple of Curry and Green's chemistry and generated enormous success over the past decade.
It may be coming at the pointy end of his career and at a time after the Warriors may have preferred, but Horford could still have a major impact in a variety of ways despite entering his 19th year in the league.