The Warriors are dealing with a host of injury issues amid a slow start to the season, and a recurrence of a concerning Al Horford back issue is one worth noting. The former Celtics big man missed his fourth straight game on Sunday night for Golden State and has suited up in just one game since November 24 after being diagnosed with right sciatic nerve irritation.
Horford originally missed five games with the injury before returning on December 4 against the 76ers. However, the 39-year-old struggled in his return, shooting just 1-of-8 from the field in 18 minutes in a one-point loss. He’s missed two more weeks since that game, leaving the Warriors shorthanded in their frontcourt while falling below .500 in the standings. The Warriors are 7-6 in games Horford has played this year.
Golden State has plenty of incentive to get the veteran big man right now amid a long 82-game grind with Horford already sitting out one half of back-to-back games. However, it’s fair to wonder what Horford will look like this season when he is cleared to return to the floor.
The injury is the same ailment that forced LeBron James to miss the preseason and the first 14 games of the regular season. Horford has only appeared in 13 games for the Warriors due to the back injury as well as rest and a foot injury. He’s shooting a career-low 32.1 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from 3-point range in those appearances, averaging 5.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in a reserve role.
Golden State has also pulled Jonathan Kuminga out of the rotation in the past week, leaving Draymond Green, Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis to soak up all the minutes in the frontcourt with Horford sidelined.
The Warriors signed Horford to a two-year contract for the taxpayer mid-level exception back in September with the second year of the deal being a player option. Given how much of a win-now roster the Warriors have now with three starters over 35 years old, it’s worth keeping an eye on Horford as Golden State weighs opportunities to improve the roster in the coming weeks.