Boston’s Tall Task: Al Horford’s Situation
As the NBA approaches the middle of the offseason, the Boston Celtics are viewed as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Due to Brad Stevens' desire not to mess with what Ime Udoka and the rest of the Celtics had built last season, Boston acquired two pieces that help with depth and shot creation.
One of the key figures that captained Boston through the roller-coaster of a year that was the 2021-22 season was the 36-year-old veteran, Al Horford. Whether it is his leadership on the bench or hustling for every loose ball in the postseason, Horford provides the Celtics with something they knew they were missing during their strange 2020/21 season where the team finished with a .500 record.
Horford is the third-highest paid player for Boston this upcoming season, making $26.5 million. However, after a season that hopefully ends with a title, Horford becomes an unrestricted free agent. With the Celtics as deep in the luxury tax as they are right now, ownership may not be willing to pay a player like Horford his desired salary. Whether it is Grant Williams or the Summer League standout Mfiondu Kabengele, Boston will someday have to replace a player who has been the heartbeat of the Celtics every season he has worn green.
The first step that Boston can take to replace a player of Horford's caliber is to tie Williams to a long-term deal with his contract expiring in just two years.
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After clinching an NBA Finals berth, Jaylen Brown spoke on the importance of having a guy like Horford on his team, stating, "Nobody deserves it more than the guy to my right, his energy, his demeanor, coming in every day being a professional, taking care of his body, being a leader. I'm proud to be able to share this moment with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, a guy like Al Horford, he's been great all season, really my whole career."
After playing just 28 contests for the Thunder last season, Horford contributed in 69 regular season games, starting in all of them, not including the postseason. Despite turning 36 in the middle of the NBA Finals, Horford continues to stand the test of time. Still, at the end of the day, Boston not only needs to cherish its time with the former Florida star but plan for the future without him. Last season, Horford ranked eighth in the entire NBA in assist to turnover ratio for players that contributed in 65 or more contests. On top of his ability to distribute and take care of the basketball, Horford shot his highest free-throw percentage in his 15-year career at over 84 percent from the charity stripe.
He averaged his most rebounds during a playoff run in his career last season with Boston. Horford also collected 30 points in Game Four against the Bucks, the most points he's scored in his 147 playoff games. The numbers do not even emphasize how important a player like Horford was to a team that completely flipped the script in the second half of the regular season. Stevens trading Horford for Walker was one of the few moves that turned Boston into the contender it is heading into next season. Despite a poor situation with the Philadelphia 76ers, Horford kept his head down and found his way back to success even when critics thought his best basketball was running out.
From a .500 team that got swept out of the playoffs in the first round the season before to one that made it all the way to the Finals, Horford had a lot to do with the culture that was created to lead this charge. Williams is a passionate player that has some of the characteristics on the floor as Horford does, but when it comes to leadership, the veteran needs to pass the torch of knowledge to the players of the future before he calls it quits.
The question of Horford's contract is one of the largest concerns for the Celtics as they hope to sustain a player that right now does not look to be running out of gas. Boston needs to realize how special and rare Horford's quality of play at his age is and find a way to raise the 18th banner into the rafters.
There is no clear replacement for a player like Horford when looking at the on-the-court impact. However, signing Williams to a multi-year deal worth around $10-12 million would be a step in the right direction. Boston will have a competition of several players to see who can win the final three roster spots.
Players like Noah Vonleh don't jump off the page due to the lack of success in the NBA. Still, as an athletic, youthful big man, he could help combine minutes with Williams to supplement Horford in the future if necessary. And after his first Finals appearance in his career, Horford will be motivated to get back there as soon as possible because nobody knows how much time he has left. In the physical manner in which he plays the game, this upcoming season will be one in which Udoka wants to save Horford for crucial games and a potentially deep postseason run.
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Despite the Celtics having one more season of Horford in the starting line-up, Stevens needs to look ahead with championship windows in the NBA being so unpredictable. There is no question that Horford exceeded expectations this past season with the Celtics. While the morale in Boston may be high now, Horford becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer is looming in the distance.
No statistic can measure the impact he has on a single franchise, and that is the problem when Boston is going to be tasked with moving on from one of its most beloved players. So even keeping Horford on the bench and putting him in for minutes where experience means more than production when that time comes could be extremely beneficial.
The Celtics are on a mission to suck the last amount of elite basketball Horford has to offer in his NBA career. Although, after witnessing last season, Horford may have a few more years in him. Still, just in case, an extension for Williams is not only a security valve but nailing down a player that continues to evolve his game each season is beyond valuable.
While Horford continues to age like fine wine seemingly, the Celtics are entering the peak time of their championship window. Williams and plenty of free agents over the next two seasons could supplement a little of what Horford does, but none of them will be able to match the leadership and chemistry he has with Boston's two cornerstone pieces.
