Defying Father Time

The last two contests against the high-power Memphis Grizzlies and star-studded Brooklyn Nets demonstrated to the NBA a lot of things. One of the most important is without a doubt how vital Al Horford is for the Boston Celtics heading into the end of the regular season.

After the Celtics win over the Nets in Brooklyn a few weeks ago, star Jaylen Brown stated, "Al comes to play, man...He’s different. He’s unique. He guards really well for us. He’s been really important to our defense all season. So not having him out there, we had to make some adjustments, but we’ve always had the next-man-up mentality. If somebody goes down, we always pick each other up and step in where the load needs to be replaced."

It may not be what Tom Brady did at age 35, but the impact Horford has on the Celtics is astronomical. Since January 23, 2022, the Boston Celtics are 15-2 when Al Horford plays at all in a contest. He has that rare combination to make a difference through his elite veteran leadership and defensive versatility. At 35 years young, Horford is still making a monumental difference for his team. Last season, Horford was benched because he was helping his team win too much. The Thunder were in a rebuild and Horford was just too influential in Oklahoma City's victories.

Against the Grizzlies, Horford tied his season-high with 21 points and secured his most rebounds in a single game since October 30, 2019, when he snatched 16 boards for the Sixers against the Timberwolves. The fact that he is able to bang in the post with players 10 years younger than him is extraordinary in itself. Whatever lineup that Udoka puts Horford in, it is almost a guarantee that he will flourish in that role.

His shooting was a problem at the beginning of the season, but Horford has started to find his stroke just at the right time. Back in December, during the Celtics' struggles, Horford shot 28.9% from beyond the arc, but in February the 35-year-old shot 33.3% from behind the three-point line. Boston's offense has benefited tremendously from Horford's ability to knock down shots, given its current form. During the second month of the year, Boston went 9-2, and a lot of that has to be attributed to Horford's improved shooting.

If the Celtics want to continue this run that they are currently on, Horford is going to have to be a catalyst. Udoka is going to monitor his minutes going towards the end of the season, but his presence is needed for a push up the Eastern Conference standings. When the number 42 nets a double-double this season, the Celtics have a record of 8-3, and two of those losses came from November.

Williams III and Horford may be the best one-two punch down low in the NBA today. The addition of Theis adds depth to the Celtics' center position. This season is Horford's best +/- since 2017-2018 when he played in his second season with Boston. His 7.7 rebounds per game this season is his most since 2013-2014 all the way back when the big man was on the Hawks. Also this season, Horford is shooting his best free throw percentage of his career at 83.8% from the charity stripe.

Horford's presence this season is best known on the defensive side of the ball. Over 53 games this season so far, the big man averages 1.4 blocks per game. That average is good for 12th in the NBA, ahead of Jarrett Allen and Clint Capela. It is the highest block average of his career since the 2015-2016 season with Atlanta. Only four times in his career has he averaged 1.4 or more blocks per game for a season.

The importance of Horford cannot be stressed enough. The success of the Celtics relies on many things, but the availability of Horford is without hesitation on the top of the list. Many critics predicted that he would be washed, and have lost his step when the announcement was made he was returning to the Celtics for the second time. None of that has been proven to be true so far. While it was a rough start of the season for Horford, he has completely flipped the script as of late, and that explains why Boston is surging as the regular season starts to wind down.

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