The Golden State Warriors, at least in theory, have solved their long-standing issues at the center position.
After years of searching, they finally have a pair of floor-spacing, offensively capable big men who can help relieve some of the defensive workload that's been placed upon Draymond Green in the later years of his career, and both players have the experience to fit well within the Warriors' Stephen Curry-centric system.
But both Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, of course, come with availability concerns. Horford played just 45 games last season as he dealt with a variety of ailments, and although Porzingis was mostly healthy after his arrival in Golden State, there are still major uncertainties there. Both pieces, optimistically, are looking at 60-65 games this season. The rest of that workload will be entrusted to Charles Bassey, who signed a partially-guaranteed contract with the Warriors this offseason after an inspiring five-game stint late in last year's campaign.
Much of the success of this plan will hinge on Porzingis. If he can take on major minutes and start to hit his perimeter shots at a more consistent rate, Golden State will have found its solution in the starting lineup. But no matter what, they'll also be dependent on an offensive resurgence from Al Horford to help solidify the rotation—and it's not clear if he still has that in him at this point in his career.
Al Horford still has a massive role to play for the Warriors in 2026-27
There's a reason Golden State was willing to grant Horford a player option on his deal last offseason, and there's a reason they were willing to offer him a two-year extension this time around. They believe that Horford still has gas left in the tank as a rebounding, floor-spacing, and defensive threat even as he enters his age-40 season.
Most Warriors fans, including myself, would agree. But his production over the past couple of years doesn't automatically justify that belief.
He averaged just 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc last season with Golden State. In 2024-25 with the Boston Celtics he averaged nine points and shot 36.3% from the perimeter. He shot a combined 42.4% from the field as a whole across those two seasons.
Horford has obviously lost a step on the defensive end with age, and his primary value now comes as a floor-spacer. But there's also a clear difference between a 40% 3-point shooter (which he was during the Celtics' championship run) and a 36% shooter.
On the one hand, the Warriors don't need Horford to be a full-time starter like he was for Boston during those seasons. They can, perhaps, accept a dip in production as long as Horford remains a capable passer and a solid bench presence.
But if Porzingis goes down at any point (or even if he doesn't and the Warriors are simply trusting Horford to keep the bench unit cohesive on the offensive end), they'll need him to hit those shots at a consistent rate and to produce double-digit point totals on a semi-consistent basis. With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody out until at least mid-season, Golden State needs production from wherever it can find it, and Horford is the type of veteran they'll turn to in sticky situations.
If Horford has can scratch out one more campaign like the ones he put up in 2022-23 or 2023-24, that would be a major victory for the Warriors. But if he declines any further this season, their depth at the big man position, and the versatility of their entire rotation, could suffer for it.
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