The Golden State Warriors are staring down a harsh reality. Their second-round playoff exit wasn’t just a bad break — it was a glaring reminder that this roster, as it stands, can’t keep up. Their biggest weakness? Size. Time and again, they were out-rebounded, outmuscled, and pushed off the glass. Now, with Stephen Curry inching closer to the twilight of his prime, the pressure is on the front office to fix things fast. Reports suggest they’re eyeing a high-profile veteran to plug the gaps. But one Oakland legend sees it differently — to him, the path forward isn’t about big names. It’s about doing the little things right.
If you ask former MLB MVP Jimmy Rollins what the Warriors need for their next ring, he’ll give you a one-word answer. “Rebounds,” Rollins said bluntly this week at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. “A big man that can come in, you know, and play some defense.”
Rollins sees what every Warriors fan sees. He knows Draymond Green plays with incredible heart, but he also knows size is a problem. “Look, Draymond is what, [6-foot-6]? And he’s guarding 7-footers, and he’s pushing them off the block, but there are times where length, there’s nothing you can do about it.” That exact issue killed the Warriors in the playoffs, where they were one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. For Rollins, it’s simple math. “We’re getting out-rebounded, teams are getting an extra 15 shots on us,” he said. “It’s hard to win games that way.”
The solution, according to Rollins, isn’t a superstar. It’s a “true big man” whose main job is to grab rebounds and play defense. That simple, direct advice is a clear, if indirect, critique of the front office’s rumored top target: 39-year-old Al Horford.
The Horford-to-the-Warriors rumors have been everywhere, with insiders like Marc Stein and Zach Lowe calling it all but a done deal. And while you can see the appeal—Horford is a champion, a respected leader, and a big who can stretch the floor—his profile as a finesse player doesn’t address the raw, physical need for rebounding that Rollins identified. Even Stephen Curry had a hard time dodging the question. “He’s a champion, great player,” Curry said carefully. “When…if, when all that stuff happens, I’ll talk about it.”
But chasing Horford is a huge gamble. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the veteran is weighing three options: the Warriors, the Lakers, or just retiring. The fact that he might just hang it up makes Golden State’s all-in pursuit incredibly risky. So why the big push?
Steph Curry asked about the idea of Al Horford joining the Warriors: “He’s a champion, great player. When…if, when all that stuff happens, I’ll talk about it.”
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 10, 2025
Leadership. There’s no denying what Horford brings to a locker room. His former coach, Joe Mazzulla, once admitted to feeling like, “Man, I let Al [Horford] down,” after a tough playoff loss—a sign of the deep respect Horford commands. Former Patriot Julian Edelman called him “the example for how these guys need to be as a professional.” That’s what the Warriors want. But as Jimmy Rollins pointed out, for a team that gets killed on the glass, chasing a 39-year-old finesse big instead of a true rebounder raises a fundamental question about the front office’s priorities.
(This is a developing story…)
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