It only took one quarter for Al Horford to grant Warriors their wish

Experience, versatility and a two-way presence at the center position. It's something the Golden State Warriors desperately needed after some limitations in recent years, and now they've been granted it already in the form of Al Horford.

It only took a quarter for Horford to show what kind of impact he's set to have on the Warriors this season, showcasing both his passing and defensive aspects in a strong opening stint with his new team after signing a two-year, $12 million contract as a free agent.

Al Horford's versatility is already on show for the Warriors

Horford missed his only field-goal attempt -- a top of the arc 3-pointer -- during his nearly nine minutes in the opening period, but his influence was still evident as Golden State overcame a slow start.

Horford found a diving Stephen Curry on a beautiful give-and-go pass that led to an and-one layup, before finding a cutting Pat Spencer for another dime minutes later. He also found a curling Buddy Hield for a triple in the second-quarter, finishing the first-half with three assists in his 14 minutes.

As much as Horford's 3-point shooting and floor-spacing is going to be crucial, his underrated passing as a big man might be just as important to a Golden State offense that ranked just 16th last season.

For as impressive as Horford's passing and general offense might have been, it was his defense that was even better as the veteran protected the rim in a way that completely belies his age and even somewhat undersized 6'9" frame.

The 39-year-old had three blocked shots and a couple more occasions where he protected the rim and forced misses from Laker players on the drive, while also eating up four rebounds despite the Warriors losing the battle in that area during the first-half.

Horford capped off his first game for the Warriors with a top of the arc three in the second-quarter, finishing with three points, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal. With that kind of impact on both ends of the floor, there was no surprise that the 5x All-Star finished the half leading all Golden State players in plus-minus (+13).

Steve Kerr closed the half with a group that included both Horford and second-year center Quinten Post, with the double big combination now needing more time together after helping to turn a four-point deficit into a seven-point lead.

Horford couldn't have done much more to impress Warrior fans in his first on-floor stint for the franchise, raising optimism of what the team could be with this sort of quality and versatility from the center spot.