Last season, as the Golden State Warriors made the move to acquire star forward Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, it was to the chagrin of many fans that they did not go out and pick up a rim-protecting center instead: a position that was widely seen to represent their greatest weakness at the time.
Yet, while the Butler trade has already paid massive dividends, the inconsistencies of Al Horford, who the Warriors signed this past offseason in an attempt to fill that void, could leave them in the same position yet again as the trade deadline creeps closer and closer.
In many ways, Horford was not meant to be the end-all, be-all at center for Golden State. At 39 years old, how could he be?
Yet, as this iteration of the Warriors' weaknesses become more clear, it could be a real possibility that they are stuck, yet again, in the market for a center this season.
Al Horford has not been the Warriors' solution so far
From the outset of this past offseason, Golden State very quickly identified Horford as their primary target, and, despite lingering interest from other teams, Horford made clear his intention to wait out the Jonathan Kuminga saga and ultimately sign in The Bay.
The Warriors very clearly valued Horford, and the decision to sign to a two-year, $11 million contract with a player option reflected that.
Yet, so far this season, Horford has not been as effective as many fans, or the organization, would have hoped. While he has played well on an individual defensive level, his offensive production has fallen off a cliff. Through his first 13 games, he's averaging 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and two assists while shooting 29.8% from 3-point range.
Moreover, Horford has only started one game this season (and has already missed 12 due to injury or rest), and the Warriors have been forced to go back to a combination of Draymond Green and Quinten Post at the five as a result.
While Post has made great strides defensively, neither of these are absolutely ideal solutions for a championship-contending team. Green is best utilized in his natural position at the four, and there remain enough long-term questions around Post's consistency that the organization likely does not yet have complete faith in his ability to hold down the position.
Golden State, meanwhile, is 17th in the NBA in points in the paint allowed to their opponents on a per game basis, and they are 23rd in the NBA in second-chance points allowed.
No matter where you want to place the blame, Horford's arrival has not had the impact that many hoped it would, and, as a result, the Warriors are experiencing many of the same struggles in the paint that they did last season.
As a result, they could be left in a deeply familiar position when the trade deadline inevitably peeks its head around the corner: calling up teams in search of a player to fill that void.