Al Horford had a tough night as the Golden State Warriors lost their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, Oct 21, 105-127. The veteran big man went 0-for-3 from the field and made minimal impact on the defensive end. He did, however, chime in with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

When speaking to the media after the game, Stephen Curry reiterated Horford's importance to the Warriors roster and the ways in which he can impact a game. Curry then continued by discussing how Horford helps the team in ways that don't always show up on the box score.

“Spacing is big,” Curry said. “Defensively, he’s still disruptive. I know however many minutes he can be out there, it’s impactful to have a guy that just knows how to play good basketball. He’ll find his rhythm as a season goes on. He prides himself on trying to be available, and the work that goes into it is as well. We want to be able to put our collective selves in a space where his value shows because he can be very dynamic. Maybe not in the scores, the stat sheet, but there’s a spacing bid that gives us driving angles, knocking down shots, rebounding, defending, communicating, and he’s such a great presence, obviously, in the locker room.”

Horford is 40 years old. It will be understandable if he needs a run of games to get into a groove. Still, his experience on the floor is invaluable. Horford knows how to use his body to shut down angles on defense, and how to use his scoring gravity to create and maintain spacing on the offensive end. His shot will start falling, at which point he'll give Golden State's second unit another dimension.

Nevertheless, the Warriors can't wait around forever. Not now that Kristaps Porzingis has been ruled out indefinitely. As such, Golden State fans will undoubtedly be hoping Horford can bounce back from a rough game against the Lakers to prove that he can still be a difference-maker at this late stage in his career.