Penciling in Al Horford as the Warriors’ starting center at least felt like a safe assumption once the 39-year-old officially signed on the dotted line.
But a focus on keeping him healthy in Year 19 and having him available for the most important parts of the game made coach Steve Kerr open the 2025-26 NBA season with him coming off the bench.
It took until Horford’s 13th game of the season, which was the Warriors’ 23rd, for him to receive his first start in a Golden State jersey. Horford then was shelved for the next seven games. Injuries and inconsistency clouded the early part of his Warriors tenure. Those issues have gone away since Christmas and the Warriors have been better for it.
Kerr gave Horford his second and third starts of the season the last two games the center has been available. The Warriors won both games by a combined 42 points, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves by 26 and the Utah Jazz by 16. Without stealing the spotlight, Horford had his hands all over each of the Warriors’ last two wins.
His coach no longer must keep such a tight watch on Horford’s minutes and finally can use him as his starting center like he always has wanted to. A longer leash on how many minutes Horford can play is the best of both world for both sides.
“Now that he can play 24 minutes, which is where his restriction is, I feel comfortable starting him and still being able to close with him,” Kerr told reporters Wednesday night in Utah. “We can work the math on that. And it’s nice having him with Draymond [Green] to start the game defensively. I like what I’m seeing from that group.”
Horford on Sunday in Minnesota was a plus-7 in 23 minutes with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block in his second start of the season. He was even better Wednesday night in his third start. The big man was a plus-22, the second-highest of his season, playing 24 minutes and scoring nine points, plus five rebounds, a season-high eight assists, one steal and tied his season-high of three blocked shots.
Plenty of credit and headlines should go to Moses Moody scoring 26 points and making five 3-pointers against the Jazz. Steph Curry’s 27 points on 50/40/90 shooting splits can’t go completely ignored, and neither can the fact that the Warriors made 23 threes and the bench scored 67 points.
All those factors deserve their glory. This is simply just such a different team when Horford is healthy, in rhythm and making multiple players around him better.
Quinten Post scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds and made two threes off the bench. He still has a secured spot in Kerr’s rotation. Trayce Jackson-Davis played the final four minutes of garbage time but still has shown stretches of value and is loved on the bench and in the locker room. Neither much-younger center is as good of a shooter, passer, rebounder or defender as Horford is, and his experience and intellect are an added bonus.
Horford scored the Warriors’ first three points of the game off a 3-pointer from the right wing and then quickly showed off his defensive prowess. He blocked a Lauri Markkanen 3-point attempt and running hook shot from the Jazz big in the first quarter. Later in the second quarter, Horford played perfect defense on Markkanen at the rim, stayed vertical and blocked him for a third time.
Fellow big men have been in a world of trouble against Horford and the Warriors’ defense the past two games. Markkanen was a minus-15, going 6 of 14 from the field and 1 of 6 on threes. Starting center Jusuf Nurkic was a game-low minus-30. Timberwolves starting center Rudy Gobert was a game-low minus-21 Saturday. Julius Randle scored 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting in that same game, and Naz Reid didn’t score a single point off the bench.
The Warriors scored their fewest points of the season Monday (83) when Horford sat and scored their most of the season Wednesday (140) when he was back in the starting lineup.
Since returning from a seven-game absence and scoring 14 points on Christmas, Horford only has missed four games. All four have been the second half of a back-to-back and Horford will continue to not play both games of a back-to-back, just like De’Anthony Melton.
The Warriors went 2-2 in the four games he missed and now are 10-5 in the 15 games he has played the past five weeks. Horford in those 15 games has averaged 8.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocked shots per game while shooting 48.4 percent overall and 40.6 percent from three.
“I’ve said this to you guys, but Al and Melt have changed our team,” Kerr said. “Just the two-way capability. Melt’s ability to get by people and Al’s size, his shooting. So even without Jimmy [Butler], we’ve got a lot of depth, a lot of guys who can contribute and win games.”
More than halfway through the season, and with the NBA trade deadline and All-Star break right around the corner, the Warriors in Horford have the starting center they’ve always wanted.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast