The Warriors began their preseason run with a 111-103 victory against the Lakers, who now fell on back-to-back losses against the Suns and Warriors, respectively. The Warriors played their veterans only in the first half, but it gave the players and their fans a glimpse of what to expect when they see a relatively new starting team on the court.
A key takeaway from this game was assessing how Al Horford fits on the court alongside the other veterans. Following the game, Stephen Curry spoke to the media about his first impression of what he saw with Al Horford on the court. And clearly, Curry was impressed and optimistic about what he saw from the former NBA champion.
“Obviously, a high IQ, experienced, championship caliber player that can fit with any lineup out there. He gives us space, he gives us presence on the defensive end. You saw the pass he made to me out of the corner. So the give-and-go was just how our unspoken chemistry will continue to get better. But he is multidimensional as a five man, and I’m excited to see what that looks like for me, Jimmy, JK, Draymond, like any lineup, he could go out there and be the five.”
Al Horford stuffed the box score in his first game with a Warriors jersey on. He finished the game with three points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and three blocks. A multi-faceted asset for the Warriors, Horford showed a glimpse of his impact on both ends of the floor in just 14 minutes played tonight.
Stephen Curry, on the other hand, hit the ground running like he never left. Despite playing only 15 minutes in the game, the Warriors’ superstar dropped 14 points with two assists and one rebound. He shot 60% from three-point range on five attempts (three shots made).
Steve Kerr Speaks On Al Horford’s Fit With The Warriors
Following Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr also addressed the media after the Warriors’ preseason win. He also spoke about his takeaways from Horford’s debut in a Warriors jersey.
“Fun just to see the size. The shooting ability. The passing ability. The flow of the game. What an addition he is. As I said before, you can play him with anybody.” Kerr went on to analyze that he could even play as a power forward alongside seven-foot-tall Quinten Post at the five.
“He just fits any lineup and makes it better,” concluded an impressed Kerr. It is safe to say that Horford will find more minutes in rotation once the regular season starts. It will be interesting to see how his fit runs out for the Warriors through the season.
