Steve Kerr, Draymond Green, Warriors
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Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reacts after Draymond Green was called with a technical foul by referee Brian Forte.
Santa Claus may not wear a Warriors uniform, but Golden State is getting a timely gift just days before Christmas.
Veteran center Al Horford is expected to return to the lineup when the Warriors host the Dallas Mavericks, a development that could bring much-needed balance to a team navigating injuries, lineup instability and rising internal tension.
“Al is likely to play tomorrow,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters.
Horford has missed eight of the Warriors’ last nine games due to sciatica and has appeared in only 13 of 30 contests this season. He has averaged 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 three-pointers, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game while operating primarily in a rotational role.
Golden State signed Horford in the offseason not for his box-score dominance, but for what he offers structurally — spacing at center, defensive intelligence and championship-level experience. The Warriors envisioned him as a stabilizer, a connective piece in a lineup that has often lacked size and rim protection.
That vision has yet to materialize.
Horford is shooting a career-low 29.8 percent from three-point range and 32.1 percent overall, in part because of inconsistent availability, minutes restrictions and team policy that prevents him from playing both games of a back-to-back.
Horford’s Return Could Shift Warriors’ Defensive Burden
Al Horford
GettyAl Horford is set to return for the Christmas showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks.
Horford’s absence has forced Golden State to lean heavily on Draymond Green and second-year center Quinten Post to anchor the interior. That has increased Green’s defensive workload, particularly against larger, more physical centers across the league.
ESPN’s Marc Spears noted that strain while discussing Green’s recent flare-up with Kerr.
“I’m hearing that Draymond’s a little frustrated with having to guard centers and having guys that are 40 to 50 pounds heavier than him on a nightly basis,” Spears said Tuesday on NBA Today.
Horford’s return could alleviate that pressure by allowing Green to roam more freely as a help defender — a role in which he has historically been most effective.
Green, Kerr Confrontation Highlights Warriors’ Tension
The timing of Horford’s return is significant.
It comes just days after Green and Kerr engaged in a heated confrontation during a third-quarter timeout of Monday’s win over the Orlando Magic. With Golden State trailing 71–66, Kerr called a timeout to reset what he later described as a lapse in focus. Green, visibly animated, argued with Kerr and an official before walking back to the locker room instead of joining the huddle.
“Yeah, we got into it, obviously,” Kerr said after the game. “I took the timeout because I thought we lost our focus a little bit. We had it out briefly, and he made the decision to go back to the locker room to cool off. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”
Green later returned to the bench, but Kerr chose not to reinsert him into the game.
Golden State responded with its best stretch of basketball of the night, tightening defensively and outscoring Orlando by 23 points over the final 20 minutes to secure the win.
The response reinforced Kerr’s assertion that the confrontation was about focus, not discipline.
“Tempers spilled over, and I thought it was best that I get out of there,” Green said. “I don’t think it was a situation where it was going to get better. It was best to remove myself.”
Warriors Look for Reset as Mavericks Visit
The Mavericks have won six of their last 10 games, adding urgency to the matchup as Golden State tries to find consistency.
The Warriors enter the game at 15–15 overall and 5–5 over their last 10 games, hovering around the middle of the Western Conference standings.
Horford’s return won’t solve everything. But it offers something Golden State has lacked — structural balance.
Horford gives Kerr another defensive anchor, another passer from the high post and another veteran voice in the locker room. It allows Green to conserve energy. It provides a more traditional counter to the league’s size-driven frontcourts.
For a team still searching for rhythm, sometimes the most valuable gifts are not stars or spectacle — but stability.
And that is exactly what the Warriors hope Al Horford brings with him back onto the floor.