The Golden State Warriors have made their move to sign Al Horford official, as of this past Sunday. With that signing comes the realization from the national audience that the Stephen Curry era is still going strong, and that the Warriors are far from finished.
Horford is going to bring a plethora of useful skills to this team that will allow them to reach an even higher level in a stacked Western Conference. His veteran experience on a championship roster, shot-making ability, and defense will all be major factors in elevating the Warriors' ceiling.
It's not exactly a secret that Golden State has long desired the type of floor spacing big man that can truly maximize the rest of the talent on the roster. With Kevon Looney leaving town this summer, the need for a stretch five was more obvious than ever. Now, Horford fills a major roster hole.
Many in the NBA landscape thought that Al Horford's production and usefulness would have fallen off years ago. Instead, he's strung together one of the more impressive runs of longevity from any player in this league in recent memory. Warriors fans are just hoping that will keep up for at least one more year.
Al Horford is an excellent fit with this Warriors team
Assuming he is at his best, Horford is going to bring the kind of shooting, spacing, and playoff experience that few big men in the association can truly claim, especially at his age. Even at age 39, Horford has maintained effective three-point shooting and overall efficiency at both ends of the floor, making him a true impact player and not just some veteran filler piece.
Due to Horford's age, I would say expectations are somewhat moderate. However, the upside has the chance to be incredibly meaningful if Al is able to stay healthy and perform consistently with this group. Given the rest of the roster's makeup and how he's such a natural fit with this group, it seems like there's a high chance of that happening.
Horford is going to give the Warriors a lot more options than they had previously. He will allow Draymond Green to play his more natural position at power forward, and he'll alleviate spacing issues in any lineup he's inserted into.
Overall, this signing may have seemed like just a decent veteran addition to an outsider. But really, it reinforces the idea that the Curry era is not yet in decline in San Francisco. The Warriors are going to continue to contend, and this group they're working with now is going to give them more than a solid chance of going deep into the playoffs once again.