In today’s Dub Hub:
- A recent article from The Athletic details Al Horford’s decision to leave the Celtics for the Warriors.
- Brandin Podziemski discusses the upcoming season in an interview with Dubs Talk’s Kerith Burke.
- Lakers’ Luka Doncic to make his preseason debut Tuesday night vs. Suns.
Al Horford’s move from the Boston Celtics to the Golden State Warriors this offseason came as one of the quieter but more impactful free-agent moves of the summer.
In a recent article from The Athletic,
Horford revealed that he never planned on leaving Boston, but in the wake of Jayson Tatum’s achilles injury and the Celtics making salary-driven moves to trade away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis — the 39-year-old center realized the team’s priorities were shifting this past offseason.
“I think once that offseason happened and it started to progress, it became clear to me the team had different priorities,” Horford said. “Obviously, getting rid of Jrue (Holiday), getting rid of Kristaps (Porziņģis). And I know it’s all salary stuff, but it was like a domino effect, and it was tough for me. It was a tough decision, but my wife and I, we prayed about it. I knew that it had to be something that was gonna be — that my family had to be on board with me for us to proceed in something like this. And that was it.”
With Boston retooling its roster and uncertainty surrounding its core, Horford used free agency to find a situation aligned with his goals. Golden State offered exactly that — a veteran-led contender built around Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler.
Horford’s shooting and defensive versatility have already stood out in preseason play, while his presence adds another steady voice to a veteran locker room. For Horford, the move wasn’t about leaving Boston, it was about joining a team that still shares his championship vision as he enters his 19th year in the NBA.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Tuesday, October 14th:
Warriors News:
Al Horford opens up on Celtics departure, hopes Warriors will be his last team | The Athletic
“Yeah, I had communication with them, with Steph and Draymond,” Horford said. “And that was important. It happened very fast because it was at a point where they came to me and they’re like, ‘Hey, we’d love to have you,’ and all these things. And it was one of these things that, for me, looking at this fit and the potential, it just felt right. So them reaching out to me was important.”
Why the NBA should still be afraid of the Warriors | ESPN
There is tremendous defensive potential in a frontcourt featuring Butler, Green and Horford, who have a combined 15 All-Defensive Team appearances in their careers.
A strong defense, after all, is just as central to the Warriors’ winning identity as Curry’s deep 3s. In 2021-22, their last title season, the Warriors finished second in defensive rating versus just 16th on offense. And last year, Golden State led the league in defensive rating after Butler’s arrival — even without Horford, and even with their opponents making an unsustainably high percentage of their 3-point tries.
Brandin Podziemski exclusive: Is the Warriors third-year guard primed to make a leap? | Dubs Talk
NBA News:
Lakers’ Luka Doncic to make preseason debut vs. Suns | ESPN
Redick said he will work with Doncic’s athletic trainer, Javy Barrio, to determine how much Doncic will play, but the Lakers will err on the side of caution in Phoenix.
“I would say there will most likely be a ramp-up from Game 1 to Game 2 in Luka’s minutes,” Redick said. “What that total number looks like, we’re still talking to Javy and Luka about what kind of makes sense.”
When asked how he planned to use Doncic, Redick deadpanned: “Give him the ball.”
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault breaks down defensive film with ESPN’s Tim Legler
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Warriors ‘confident’ Jimmy Butler will not miss season opener with ankle injury
“I am told the Warriors are confident that Jimmy Butler will be available for next Tuesday’s season opener vs. LAL after he rolled his ankle in practice on Friday,” Siegel reported via Twitter. “The injury was described as nothing more than a ‘tweak.’ He will not play in tonight’s preseason game vs. POR.”
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
