Al Horford looked like he'd been part of the Golden State Warriors for years in Sunday's preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, such was his apparent fit on both ends of the floor during the veteran center's 14 minutes in the first-half.
It wasn't overly surprising given the offseason salivation at what could prove a perfect free agency signing, with the 39-year-old eventually signing a two-year, $12 million contract with the Warriors once Jonathan Kuminga's future was resolved.
While much has been made of what Horford could provide Golden State with his floor-spacing, passing and defensive versatility, it's also worth noting how much the Boston Celtics could be negatively impacted by their former Finals rival stealing the 5x All-Star.
Celtics left with questionable big man rotation after Al Horford loss
Not only did the Celtics have Horford snatched from their grasp by the Warriors, but they also lost their two other key rotation big men in Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet. They're now left with a makeshift combination of four players -- Xavier Tillman, Luka Garza, Neemias Queta and Chris Boucher -- none of which are making more than $2.6 million this season.
One of Boston's biggest strengths could now become a real weakness, having ranked fourth in defensive rating last season and fifth in blocks per game while allowing the fourth-least amount of points in the paint.
“They never let their opponents get to the rim. By the way, can that be sustained without your entire big man rotation from last year, including your best rim protector in Porzingis when he was available? And Horford's still quite good," The Ringer's Zach Lowe recently said on his podcast.
In fairness Boston moved Porzingis on of their own accord, essentially dumping his salary to ensure they could get under the second tax apron. It was also going to be difficult for them to re-sign Kornet, with the 30-year-old signing a four-year, $40.7 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs.
The Horford loss must surely hurt the most from a Celtics perspective, not only because of what he meant to the franchise as a legendary figure for seven of the past nine seasons, but also because the 39-year-old only took slightly more than what Boston could afford.
The pain among Celtics fans wouldn't have eased watching Horford's preseason debut for the Warriors, particularly his three blocks that may emphasize exactly what Boston are likely to miss this season.
It remains to be seen whether one of the Celtics current centers can step up and fill the void, but there's no doubt that either way they'll miss Horford's presence both on and off the floor.