Warriors Keep Al Horford in Bubble Wrap for Monday Night

Al Horford is officially sitting out Monday night for "injury management," which is the modern NBA's polite way of saying a 40-year-old big man simply does not need to be playing basketball on a random Monday in November.

The Golden State Warriors are keeping their veteran center in bubble wrap. If you were somehow banking on Horford to anchor your daily fantasy lineup or cash a heavily juiced prop bet tonight, it is time to reevaluate your entire strategy.

"Underdog NBA reported Horford is listed out Monday for injury management."

To be fair, Horford is not exactly carrying the offensive load for Steve Kerr these days. He is currently averaging a highly casual 1.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, which means his absence is less of a tactical disaster and more of a minor rotational inconvenience.

This is already becoming a clear pattern for Golden State early in the season. The team held him out with the exact same injury management tag back on October 24, making it obvious they have zero interest in pushing his limits.

He also recently dealt with a left knee contusion that the medical staff brushed off as minor and precautionary. When you combine a bruised knee with a couple of decades of NBA mileage, scheduled rest days are just part of the cost of doing business.

Resting a guy who averages fewer points than a standard rounding error might not swing the championship odds, but it does force the rest of the frontcourt to step up. Draymond Green and the younger bigs are going to have to absorb those extra minutes in the paint tonight.

Expect Horford to be back in the mix later this week once his legs have had a chance to recharge. Until then, cross him off your betting slips and assume the Warriors will keep treating his regular-season schedule like a highly exclusive country club membership.