Hopefully, the Golden State Warriors will be back at (relative) full strength for their penultimate matchup of the regular season. All three of Stephen Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford are expected to suit up against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
From a perspective of the Western Conference standings, this game means very little. The Kings are far-removed from the playoff picture, and the Warriors have already been locked into the 10th seed. But given how little their projected starters for the Play-In Tournament have actually played together, these games take on quite a bit of meaning.
The obvious issue here is that Porzingis and Stephen Curry have spent just eight minutes on the court together this season. Everything for Golden State revolves around Curry and the gravity he possesses for opposing defenses. If they want to find success in the Play-In, let alone be confident in taking a gamble on Porzingis this offseason, they need to see the two players work off of each other offensively.
Al Horford, meanwhile, has missed 14 games with a soleus strain he sustained on March 13 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He and Porzingis have appeared in just four games together, and Golden State will face a similarly urgent problem in balancing the two players' minutes and roles over these final two matchups.
Warriors must determine how they want to use Al Horford (and what value he has with Porzingis in the rotation)
While the absence of Al Horford has been largely swept under the rug with Porzingis' return and the emergence of Charles Bassey, Horford's contributions will be paramount as the Warriors attempt to break their way through the Play-In.
Over the 20 games prior to his injury, Horford had taken on part-time starting status for Golden State, averaging 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 37.1% from beyond the arc in that span. He's not the behemoth that Porzingis is, but he has the veteran acumen and the floor-spacing capabilities to be a massively important piece of the Warriors offense.
Steve Kerr, however, has not truly had to make a decision about balancing Horford's and Porzingis' minutes to this point. There's been four games this season where they've both been active— Feb. 19 against the Boston Celtics, March 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, March 10 against the Chicago Bulls, and March 13 against Minnesota. Horford played just 13 minutes in the Timberwolves game as a result of his injury, so that sample can be thrown out.
In those first three appearances, Horford totaled roughly 89 minutes on the court. Porzingis, who was on a minutes restriction, totaled 59.
In an ideal scenario, Horford is not the Warriors' starting center. He still certainly possesses value as a backup big, however, and if Golden State can utilize him properly in that role alongside Porzingis, their bench unit will benefit immensely from his presence. It's the type of development that can make the difference between a lottery selection and a playoff bid.
But the more pressing issue returns to a familiar place for Golden State. They've had so little time with their team together this season. How can they possibly determine Porzingis' long-term fit with the organization? If Porzingis is their guy this offseason, it could make them less inclined to chase after Horford if he declines his player option?
The only way to truly determine these things is to see everyone together on the court. Thankfully, the Warriors will get to see their players in action, even if it's just for a short time.