As the Golden State Warriors have sat stagnant this offseason, they have still maintained a profound interest in bringing in veteran center Al Horford once their lingering stand-off with Jonathan Kuminga has been resolved.
Yet, bringing in a 39-year-old center to an already aging starting lineup could prove to be a massive risk, and, therefore, the Warriors need Horford to stay healthy next season more than anything else.
For his last seven seasons, Horford has not surpassed the 70-game mark, and Golden State will be highly dependent on him, at the very least, reaching this plateau again in order for them to stand a chance in the regular season.
Al Horford's health could represent a massive risk for the Warriors
As the Warriors progressed through last season, none of the various solutions they tried at center seemed to be a lasting fix.
Trayce Jackson-Davis was largely outsized and outmatched at the position, and moving Draymond Green to the five-spot, while temporarily effective, limited his defensive ceiling and cost Golden State valuable size on the interior.
Moreover, while the ascension of Quinten Post from the G-League gave the Warriors an additional perimeter threat, the holes in his defensive game limited his viability in the postseason and ultimately made for an especially gruelling series against the Houston Rockets.
Therefore, Horford, as a dependable presence on both ends of the floor, certainly seems like an upgrade. Yet, in bringing Horford in, Golden State will have four starters over the age of 35.
Both Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler missed games last year due to injury, and their successive absences in the postseason ultimately led to the team's downfall. Is it fair to expect the same thing of Horford?
Apart from a strange 2020-21 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder in which he only played in 28 games, Horford has largely had a clean bill of health throughout his career, and, although he continues to age, he has shown no real signs of slowing down.
If Horford were to miss significant time, however, the team would likely need to rely yet again on Quinten Post as the starting center: a dangerous proposition if he does not develop in his lateral defending and rebounding.
If Horford were to sustain an injury in the playoffs, moreover, the Warriors could be left in shambles yet again, but this time on the defensive end.
Therefore, while bringing in Horford is certainly the right move this offseason, the team is taking a sizable gamble that he will reach, at least, the 70-game plateau that he has found in the late stages of his career.