The Warriors get a bargain! Can a 39-year-old veteran support the inside?

After the turbulent summer, the Warriors finally ushered in a little stability.

Kuminga's farce gradually came to an end, and the team's signing work gradually began. Old players Melton and Payton Jr. successfully returned. In addition, according to reporters, 39-year-old Al Horford will join the Warriors with a multi-year contract in the new season.

As a veteran who has been fighting in the league for many years, most fans should be familiar with this name. As the 2007 Tanhua Show, Horford has played in the NBA for 17 seasons so far, and his career trajectory can be regarded as an old almanac of the league.

was selected by the Eagles in 2007, and then started nine years of Atlanta. He beat all the players in the rookie season and ranked second in the Best Rookie selection, second only to Durant of the same class. He was selected as the All-Star in the third year and entered the third team of the All-Squad in the fourth year.

What is most praised for his time at the Eagles is his balanced performance in both offense and defense. He was selected as the All-Star again in the 2015-16 season and entered the Best Defensive Player Voting List. Since then, Horford's name has almost equated with defensive insurance.

In 2017, Horford left Atlanta and chose to join the Celtics. At that time, the Celtics were in a critical period of alternating between old and new, with All-Star guard Irving leading the way, and the double-Tanhua Tatum and Jaylen Brown rising. The arrival of veteran Horford has given the team a backbone in defense and calmly plays the inside pillar of the Celtics.

In just a few years, Horford entered the Eastern Conference Finals with the team and entered the finals stage in 2022. When the round was against the Warriors, Horford tried his best, but in the end he fell under Curry's super god's performance.

Then in the summer of 2019, Horford signed with the 76ers, but Philadelphia's brief experience was not a good one, and was swept by his old club Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. He was then traded to the Thunder, and the team was in the reconstruction stage, and Horford was reimbursed for the season only 28 games. In 2021, the veteran returned to the Celtics again and ushered in a rejuvenation moment in his career. The veteran is not dead. With experience and ball quotient, he can still stand up and stabilize the team at critical moments. Although his role gradually shifts from starting to substitute rotation, it is still an indispensable tactical puzzle for the Celtics.

Opening Horford's resume, the most obvious keyword is stability:

No career has ever averaged 20 points per game, but it has been efficient every year for 17 years;

career three-point shooting percentage is 37%, and he averaged 5.2 shots per game last season, making him a truly high-turret that can open up space;

averaged 3.2 assists per game, with stable support, and his passing vision and turnover control are among the top in the league inside;

Although not top-notch in the defensive end, he has been on the DPOY voting list many times, relying on experience and position to maintain a qualified level;

Even though he is over 39 years old, Horford has been able to play more than 60 games in the past two seasons, and has played more than 25 minutes per game. This kind of attendance and health level is already quite rare under the standards of veterans.

For the Warriors, this signing is almost no risk. Horford's role positioning is very clear. He will not be the core of the team, nor will he need to bear too much offensive pressure. What he needs to do is to become a solid link in the team's rotation. He may take on more franchise protection duties in the new season, which the Celtics rarely asked him to do in recent years. The Warriors may use Horford as the center in the five small lineups, allowing him to command defense and open up offensive space. Whether you can adapt to such a new positioning will also be the focus of observation in the new season.

Of course, there are also hidden worries in the future. Although Horford's attendance is still stable, the age problem is right in front of him. The Warriors may not be able to arrange rotational rest protection for him like the Celtics.

In addition, his high-level data also showed a significant decline last season, with the BPM value falling to the lowest point after the 2012-13 season. VORP, WS and other high-level data hit a new low in the Celtics' career. Does this mean that he has arrived at the end of his career? This is also a question worth observing in the new season.

But even so, for the Warriors, Horford can still bring a lot of what they want, game experience, stable offense and defense, and outside shooting, these are all indispensable parts of the playoff team.

From the player's perspective, for the 39-year-old Horford, he no longer needs to raise his value through the Warriors, and he no longer needs to prove anything. All he needs to do for the rest of his time is to use the remaining energy to help the Warriors go further and pass on his veteran wisdom to the young juniors in the team.

If the Warriors finally make a comeback in the new season, don't ignore the No. 42 veteran. He may not have amazing data anymore, but he will definitely appear in the most suitable position when he needs it most.