Al Horford had high expectations when he joined the Golden State Warriors last offseason.
Many believed that Horford would solve the team’s center problem, as his style of play perfectly matched the team’s system needs.
Al Horford is the epitome of a floor-stretching center who can shoot threes, and despite being 38 years old, he shows defensive ability.
The former Boston Celtics player also brings a championship mentality, making him an ideal fit.
But through six games, those lofty expectations proved difficult to achieve.
The sample size remains small, with Horford playing in just four of six games due to illness, but there are concerns about his performance, especially against Milwaukee.
Against the Bucks, Horford had just three points and two rebounds while shooting 16.7 percent from the field.
He finished with a team-worst minus-20 rating, losing out to Milwaukee’s frontcourt players Bobby Portis (12 points) and Myles Turner (17 points).
Horford appeared to lack the lateral movement necessary for perimeter defense, as the Bucks made 6 of 11 3-pointers.
His defensive struggles belied expectations for his ability to switch and defend multiple positions.
The Milwaukee game wasn’t an isolated one. In the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, Horford posted a minus-10 rating, with only rookie Will Richard doing worse.
Against the Los Angeles Clippers, he posted a minus-12 mark, second-worst behind Gary Payton II’s minus-17.
While plus-minus alone doesn’t give a complete picture of performance, consistent negative ratings indicate that the Warriors’ second unit will be difficult to improve.
His overall stats show a regression, with his 3-point shooting accuracy hitting 33.3% compared to last season, but his rebounding dropping to 3.5 per game.
While adaptation represents a reasonable explanation for the early struggles, the numbers also suggest the Warriors may need additional frontcourt help beyond Horford to solve their problems at center.
With a solid backcourt that includes late starters like Payton and Buddy Hield, the Warriors may consider reducing their guard depth to add frontcourt reinforcements with Horford.
The franchise continues to be positioned as a strong contender, and improved frontcourt depth would greatly improve their chances of winning.