SAN FRANCISCO, CA– The Golden State Warriors are poised to receive a much-needed gift on Christmas Day in the form of Al Horford. The veteran center, who has missed the last seven games due to a right sciatica nerve issue, is expected to be available for the Dubs' holiday matchup with the Dallas Mavericks, according to coach Steve Kerr during his Christmas Eve media session.
“Al [Horford] is likely to play tomorrow,” Steve Kerr told reporters.
Horford has yet to find a consistent stretch of time on the floor for the Warriors. Load management and the sciatica nerve issue have plagued the 39-year-old stretch big this season, limiting his availability.
Horford was one of the Warriors' key free agent additions this past offseason. Along with the championship veteran experience, the Dubs envisioned him providing a unique combination of spacing and defense as a center, something they haven't had in the past.
But with the nagging injuries, the minutes restriction, and the policy of not playing him on both ends of a back-to-back, Horford hasn't had the impact the Warriors were anticipating 30 games into the season. The veteran center is averaging 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 13 games this season. In his limited availability, he's tallied a career low 29.8% from deep and 32.1% from the field.
Golden State Warriors center Quinten Post (21) dribbles past Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) in the third quarter of game six of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
How the Warriors have filled in without Quinten Post
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In his absence, the Warriors have turned to second-year center Quinten Post, who's been one of their better role players this season. Post leads the team with a +137 plus/minus, higher than Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. He is also a team-high +11.9 in efficiency differential, which ranks in the 93rd across the league.
As a stretch-five, Post offers many of the same things Horford does on offense. However, it's been his leaps defensively this season that have made Kerr willing to start him.
“I think his defense has gotten a lot better,” Kerr said earlier this month. “The tape shows it. The numbers show it. We're more able to switch with him.”
With Horford returning to the fold, he's unlikely to supplant Post's minutes. And Horford's return also complicates a busy rotation in which Kerr regularly goes ten or eleven guys deep. Trayce Jackson-Davis has been a steady backup center as of late, and Gui Santos has become Kerr's go-to energy sparkplug off the bench.
Still, Horford's return should not complicate things too much. Horford's limited availability will likely keep the current rotation intact. And the smaller Dubs will always require big options. But if the 15-15 Warriors want to go anywhere this season, they'll need to extract something out of their key free agency addition, who has otherwise done little on the court.