Instant Warriors analysis: Al Horford’s versatility on display vs. Lakers

SAN FRANCISCO – Steph Curry zipped around screens before burying 3-pointers. Jimmy Butler slalomed into the lane for crafty layups on a tender ankle. Draymond Green got into a scrap with a Lakers big man.

Curry scored 14 points, Butler put in nine and Green had five assists as a playmaking five. 

It might have been just the preseason opener against a Lakers team that lacked LeBron James and Luka Doncic, but the Warriors star-led lineup looked identical to the team that went 23-8 to end the regular season early in Sunday’s 111-103 victory. 

Well, almost identical. 

That new Al Horford guy … he was pretty difficult to ignore. The stats accrued in just 14 minutes were impressive enough: three points, four rebounds, three assists, a trio of blocks and a steal stood out on the box score.

But the 39-year-old center’s impact went beyond numbers. 

“He fits any lineup, makes every lineup better,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, later adding, “He’s a guy who has been around for a long time and seen everything, and the game comes very naturally for him.”

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) and Al Horford (20) attempt to guard Los Angeles Lakers’ Bronny James Jr. (9) in the second quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

It was his shooting gravity pulling Deandre Ayton out of the paint in the first quarter, giving Curry and Butler space to run a two-man game that ended in a layup. 

It was his quick give-and-go with Curry in the corner a few moments later, hitting the point guard in stride for the layup.   

It was his rim-protection, which was highlighted by an emphatic swat of LeBron James Jr., his father only able to watch the carnage from the bench. 

“It’s just more a sign of his basketball IQ than it is him flying around trying to impress anybody,” Kerr said. “He’s just always in the right spot.”

Kerr stuck to his plan of having the veteran players – Curry, Green, Butler and Horford – play only around 10 to 15 minutes in the first half. 

And in those 15 minutes, Horford looked even better than the cerebral, well-rounded veteran he was advertised as. Horford might as well have been a longtime Warrior, part of those dynastic teams of the 2010s who knew the intricacies of the offense. 

While he may not be able to play the big minutes (or back-to-backs) like Horford could as an All-Star in Atlanta or Boston, but if the first game is anything to go by, he will be a high-impact force who fits in perfectly with the stars. 

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) shoots past Los Angeles Lakers’ Deandre Ayton (5) in the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Curry looks spry

Like the rest of his late-30s peers, Curry played around 15 minutes, all in the first half. But in his allotted time on the Chase Center floor, the 37-year-old played like he was 10 years younger.

Curry scored 14 points and made 5 of 7 shots. He ripped around screens for threes and found openings in the paint for layups like usual, but he also showcased chemistry with his new teammate Horford too.

“It’s just kind of that unspoken chemistry that will continue to get better,” Curry said. “He’s a multi-dimensional five man and I’m excited to see what that looks like fo rme, for Jimmy, JK and Draymond. You can throw him out in any lineup, at the five, and he lifts any group.”

His transition layup was the highlight, but he also looked comfortable running a high pick-and-pop with the center, even if it resulted in a rare Curry miss. Like the rest of the Warriors, he benefited from Horford’s shooting prowess as a floor spacer.  

Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (1) waves to someone in the crowd in the third quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Kuminga is a … passer?

After an offseason spent focusing on Jonathan Kuminga’s scoring role with the Warriors, the newly re-signed restricted free agent seemed intent on showing he was capable of making the right play. 

Coming off the bench with 3:55 left in the first quarter and wearing a new No. 1 on his jersey, the fifth-year forward only attempted three shots in 15 minutes. 

He instead did his best Aaron Gordon impression, grabbing six rebounds and throwing four assists. Two of those dimes came in the third quarter, when he drew attention on the break and dished to open teammates. Kuminga even had a block.

He scored six points, on a drive and an open 3-pointer. There were missed box outs and iffy defense, but the Warriors had to be encouraged by what they saw from the new $46.5 million man to start the season. 

The Warriors will play host to Portland on Wednesday.

Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) drives past Los Angeles Lakers’ R.J. Davis (55) in the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Other notables

The Warriors mixed in both zone and man defensive looks, as to be expected in a preseason game. They also went 11-deep in the first half, and in total 18 players suited up. Moses Moody began the game by blowing past Ayton for a dunk and finished with a team-high 19 points. Kerr previously said that he sees Moody as more of a playmaker in the screen-and-roll game, but on Sunday, he diced up the Lakers as a corner shooter and driver. Will Richard scored three points and had a slick behind-the-back assist to Trayce Jackson-Davis for a third quarter dunk.Buddy Hield and Pat Spencer combined for 23 points, with Hield playing mostly with the regular rotation players, while Spencer ran with the deep reserves. Seth Curry, De’Anthony Melton and Alex Toohey were not active for the game. Curry is yet to be cleared by the medical team. Melton is still rehabbing from a torn ACL, and Toohey is dealing with tendinitis in his right knee. Golden State Warriors’ Al Horford (20) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Lakers’ R.J. Davis (55) in the second quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Seth Curry (31) gestures while sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Los Angeles Lakers’ Bronny James Jr. (9) drives to the basket past Golden State Warriors’ Gui Santos (15) in the third quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (1) stands on the court during the national anthem before their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) drives past Los Angeles Lakers’ Rui Hachimura (28) in the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Los Angeles Lakers’ R.J. Davis (55) stands on the court in the fourth quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) fouls Los Angeles Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes (11) in the third quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) is introduced before the start of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Moses Moody (4) attempts to steal a ball from Los Angeles Lakers’ Jake LaRavia (12) in the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Seth Curry (31) walks on the court before their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Buddy Hield (7) goes up for a basket past Los Angeles Lakers’ Nate Williams (50) in the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Draymond Jamal Green Jr. sits with his father Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) while playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) guards Los Angeles Lakers’ Bronny James Jr. (9) in the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) drives past Los Angeles Lakers’ Rui Hachimura (28) in the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Moses Moody (4) shoots a three-point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) is introduced before the start of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr watches his team play the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourth quarter of their preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)