The Golden State Warriors are nearing full health after a difficult period over the past fortnight, but they'll still be without veteran center Al Horford when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center on Friday night.
Head coach Steve Kerr confirmed Horford participated in only half of practice on Wednesday, while already ruling out the 39-year-old from what will be Golden State's first game since Sunday's dominant win over the Chicago Bulls.
Al Horford's sciatic injury only worsens a problematic start to the season
Horford's absence on Friday will be his seventh in the last eight games as he continues to manage sciatic irritation. His only appearance during this stretch was against his former team -- the Philadelphia 76ers -- last week where he made his first start. After knocking down a 3-pointer on the Warriors' first possession of the game, the 5x All-Star missed his next seven shots including six from beyond the arc.
The fact Horford returned for that game, yet will now have missed at least the next three games is a growing problem that signifies just how careful Golden State's medical staff will have to be in managing this injury.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the absence is longer than first hoped or thought, with fellow veteran LeBron James having suffered a similar injury in the summer that saw him miss the first 14 games of the season.
The further issue is that it exacerbates the complete lack of rhythm that Horford has had since joining the Warriors in the offseason, having missed multiple games even when healthy as the team manages the 19-year veteran on one side of a back-to-back.
Horford has appeared in 13 games for Golden State, averaging a career-low 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting a paltry 32.1% from the floor and only 29.8% from 3-point range.
The news is more positive for the Warriors when it comes to Stephen Curry's current quad injury which has seen the 2x MVP miss the past five games. Kerr revealed that Curry practiced fully on Wednesday, offering optimism on the 37-year-old returning on Friday, albeit without confirming he's a guarantee to face the Timberwolves.
Draymond Green was absent from practice for personal reasons, but there's also a hope that he'll return against the Timberwolves after missing the last two games due to a foot sprain that was re-aggravated against the 76ers last week.