It is true that his $26.5 million contract is not commensurate with his counting stats production at this stage of his career, but that shallow analysis would ignore all context. In addition to everything else he brings to the table, my wife tells me he has beautiful eyes. ![]() His selflessness and clear prioritization of winning and embracing his role over hunting personal statistics makes it easier for the coaching staff to elicit buy-in from other members of the roster as well. All of his teammates have waxed poetic about his professionalism and demeanor at one point or another. In the locker room, he is a calm, trusted, and mature presence. More from #NBAAllStarMediaDay presented by on the NBA App! Jayson Tatum talks about Al Horford's impact on his career as a mentor and role model. In terms of intangibles, his skillset works with any other combination of players, allowing Coach Mazzulla flexibility to deploy a wide range of effective lineups. It is rare to find a big who doesn’t have a glaring deficiency in one of those three areas. He has the girth to bang with behemoths like Joel Embiid in the post, and he can switch out onto guards and provide some resistance when required. He provides rim protection when necessary. Such a dad.ĭefensively, despite his advanced age, he still has rare versatility. In short, he is the guy everyone wants to play with in a pickup game. He sets effective screens and shares the ball with willingness and skill. Offensively, Horford consistently stretches the floor and provides spacing while holding and shooting the ball at a miniscule rate, which allows his teammates increased opportunities to dribble and shoot. Horford had the legs to bury all 5 of his 3 point attempts in the 2nd half despite banging and bumping with a motivated Joel Embiid for 32 minutes in the post. When the Sixers clawed their way back into the lead, it was Horford again hitting a massive 3 to take a 2-point lead with 1:38 remaining. Horford swung the entire momentum of the game with his own personal 9-0 spurt to kick off a larger 18-3 run in the last 4 minutes of the 3rd quarter that flipped the script from a 13-point deficit to a 2-point Celtics advantage entering the final quarter. Horford decided to go out and validate just about every point I wanted to make in a thrilling 110-107 victory over Philadelphia. I actually wrote this article on Thursday, February 23. I would argue that, more than any other current Celtic, he makes life easier for every other member of the team, including head coach Joe Mazzulla. ![]() His presence is vital both on and off the court. Not only is he the Celtics elder statesman and honorary team “Dad” since he is two years older than the head coach, he is also the glue that holds this recent contending Celtics era together. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s take a moment and really appreciate the understated, late-career brilliance of one Al Horford. Still, I feel like I need to take a shower. I inserted a few notes and facts rather than just spouting off extemporaneously about a sport I don’t even watch. Must be nice to sit back and collect all that cheddar while sitting out the second half of back-to-backs and having five teammates average more points than you.ĭid I do that right? Probably not. Can you believe this guy is making $26.5 million this year? He’s the 52nd highest paid player in the league, and what’s he giving you? 9.3 points per game! That’s good for … checks notes … 150th best scoring average in the league. You know what’s holding the Celtics back? Average Al Horford. The question then becomes whether Boston and Washington could strike a deal that makes for both sides.Hold on one second while I slip into a sports talk radio, hot take, life-is-miserable-and-so-am-I avatar. However, such news hints that the Wiz are rebuilding, perhaps a sign that forward Kyle Kuzma could be had for the right ask. Sponsored by: | /TFgt86l0hlīy almost any account that would be a step backward, especially given Beal’s age (30 next season) and injury history (he has not played more than 60 games over the last four seasons) on a deal that would run as long as a Brown extension - but start sooner. How the new CBA will impact Boston's offseason, Jaylen Brown's extension, and more w/ capologist ![]() New YouTube episode of the Celtics Lab Podcast via ☘️
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