Golden State Warriors fans waited a long time, but their team finally made offseason acquisitions.
The most important was perhaps Al Horford, who is coming to Golden State after several years with the Boston Celtics.
Speaking to NBC Sports, former NBA coach Michael Malone talked about how Horford could improve the team’s offensive plans.
“Steve Kerr, historically, has not been a big pick-and-roll coach,” Malone observed. “They haven’t had maybe the players…now, you’re adding a guy [in] in the last ten years [who] is one of the most prolific pick-and-pop bigs the game has seen. So, I think this is a match made in heaven. I know Steph Curry has to be really excited.”
NBC Sports dug into the numbers and found that the Warriors had only 10 total pick-and-roll plays last year.
Horford could change all of that because he is celebrated as one of the best pick-and-pop big men in the NBA.
Head coach Steve Kerr is definitely thinking about that as he drafts his plans for the season ahead.
As with all things, the addition of Horford was seen as a way to help Steph Curry.
Curry will always be the centerpiece of this team, and the front office is adamant about improving his chances of scoring.
By allowing him and Horford to work up pick-and-roll possessions, the Warriors can score more and become more threatening and unpredictable with their offense.
This isn’t the only thing that Horford will bring to the team, because he’s also an experienced and capable three-point shooter.
Horford has many upsides, and Kerr and his Warriors want to see all of them in 2025-26.
NEXT: Al Horford Has Honest Admission About Playing With Steph Curry