Al Horford will bring leadership and experience to the Golden State Warriors locker room. The veteran big man is just one year removed from helping the Boston Celtics win a championship. His defensive IQ, understanding of how to control angles and floor spacing ability will all be key factors of what he can bring to the rotation.

With that in mind, Steve Kerr is already envisioning ways to lean into Horford’s leadership and floor spacing. It would appear he envisions the recently-added center as a strong partner for Jonathan Kuminga in the front court. Horford’s perimeter threat would likely give Kuminga more room to attack downhill, thus giving the roster some offensive flexibility.

“Maybe Al and JK,” Kerr told the media on Oct. 2. “You know, I think that’s a two-man combo that could make some sense…With JK, we want to give him space when he’s got the ball. Al can do that. So, if JK’s at the four, Al’s at the five and we put shooters around those guys, that could be an interesting combination…The defensive wherewithal that Al has, just the accumulation of so much knowledge and experience in his career, is definitely going to help him and help us. Another big, athletic rim protector can only help.”

Horford has experience sharing the floor with an explosive forward in Jaylen Brown. Therefore, he could emerge as an ideal partner for Kuminga for stretches of the season, depending on how Kerr constructs his rotations and looks to develop his player combinations.

The Warriors knew what they were getting in Horford. He’s a proven commodity around the NBA. Whether he can help bring the best out of Kuminga will remain to be seen; however, his impact will undoubtedly be felt on both sides of the floor, regardless of whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.

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This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Golden State Warriors could partner Al Horford with Kuminga next season