NBA Notes: Warriors, Al Horford, Cavs, ‘Inside’ on ESPN

Warriors

When Al Horford sat down to dinner with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler in San Diego this summer, he wasn’t a Warrior yet. But he was close, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN.

Eight days later, he officially signed, giving Golden State something it hadn’t had in years. That would be a steady veteran big who fits its system perfectly.

Horford, 39, calls himself “old school.” No mid-court hugs or postgame selfies with opponents.

“If you’re my teammate, I’ve got your back. If not, no,” he told Slater.

He and Curry talked through the details — training staff, maintenance plans, everything you’d expect from two stars whose college days started before social media. The fit was obvious.

“Basically the most veteran conversation you could ever have,” Curry joked.

Horford’s arrival means the Warriors could field the oldest starting five in league history if he, Curry, Green, Butler and Buddy Hield start together. That’s fine with them. The franchise is all-in on winning now, even as it keeps an eye on tomorrow.

Green said the front office has found a balance.

“We’re not saying give away everything,” he said. “We’re still trying to win, but we’re not killing the future either.”

Cavaliers

The Cavaliers opened with a 119-111 loss to the Knicks, looking every bit like a team still finding its rhythm.

Coach Kenny Atkinson admitted the offense remains “clunky,” and the first half looked nothing like Cavaliers basketball, as written by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Evan Mobley added 22 and eight rebounds, but Atkinson wants a smoother balance.

“We gave Evan a lot of freedom,” he said. “There are going to be growing pains with that.”

Despite missing Darius Garland, Max Strus and De’Andre Hunter, the Cavs made a late push. You can check out my related Dribbles here.

Inside the NBA

Same show, new network. Inside the NBA made its debut on ESPN this week, and if you didn’t check the logo, you’d never know the difference.

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith were back doing what they do best, mixing chaos, comedy and sharp basketball talk.

Reviewers Andrew Marchand and Dan Shanoff of The Athletic wrote that the show “remains the best studio program in sports,” and ESPN wisely let it stay that way.

The set, the jokes, the Popeye’s sponsor riffs — all of it felt familiar. Even Ernie slipped a “TNT” mention, which the crew quickly turned into another laugh.

Different channel, same magic.