There's no other way to put it...Al Horford has been a bust for the Golden State Warriors so far after being the franchise's biggest and most notable signing in free agency.
The Warriors signed Horford for playoff impact first and foremost, but they would have been expecting far more from the veteran center to this point as the team fell to below .500 for the first time this season following Thursday's heart-breaking loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Warriors might need to hit the panic button on Al Horford
Horford was touted as the veteran stretch center that Golden State have long needed, having been incredibly valuable to multiple playoffs teams at the Boston Celtics which included their championship in 2024.
The 39-year-old shot 40.9% from 3-point range over his last three seasons with the Celtics, yet that has completely failed to translate to Golden State where he's also been limited by regular rests and a recent injury.
Horford got his first start upon his return on Thursday against the 76ers, making a positive start in knocking down a 3-pointer on his team's first offensive possession. Unfortunately it was more of the same offensive struggles from that point, with Horford missing his next seven shots including six from beyond the arc.
In fairness, the 5x All-Star did have six rebounds, four assists and a notable block on Quentin Grimes early in the fourth-quarter. Yet that doesn't particularly compensate for the inability to put the ball in the basket, with Horford now shooting a paltry 32.1% from the floor and 29.8% from 3-point range.
How soon is too soon to hit the panic button on Horford and suggest the years of high level play have finally caught up with him? If the Warriors were in a better place from a team and record standpoint, it would be far easier to allow Horford some leeway to integrate into a new system, particularly when the lack of rhythm in terms of playing is a valid reason for some of his troubles.
Unfortunately that hasn't been the case, leaving Golden State's lack of a reliable centers as just one of their many pressing issues after losing 11 of the past 18 games. For now the Warriors will just have to keep the faith in Horford and hope he can turn things around with greater continuity, but they may have to realize that he just won't bring the impact they first envisioned if this trend continues for another 15-20 games.