In this last week of games C's fans have finally seen their $113 million acquisition play like we had all hoped he would. Like a superstar.
After Thursday night's victory over the Kings, where he tallied six blocks, Al Horford became the NBA leader in blocks per game. Since the turn of the century, the Celtics have never had a player lead the NBA in that category. The last Celtic to crack the top ten in the league in blocks per game was Kendrick Perkins during the 09-10 season.
Not only has Horford showcased his defensive effort and hustle, but the big man's sweet stroke from beyond the arc is a thing of beauty to watch.
“Not only can Horford score the ball and stretch the floor for our team, but he’s a great passer out of the post and is a good option to run the offense through after Isaiah Thomas.” Said Costis Waltz, a sophomore business major at the University of Miami.
When Horford is scoring the ball effectively, it opens up space for not only Isaiah Thomas to work his magic, but as well as more space for Avery Bradley to knock down open threes.
“Horford moves the ball so well and definitely has a high basketball IQ, he’s good at setting screens, passing, and playing defense,” said Alistar Morgan, an avid Celtics fan from Chilmark, Massachusetts.
So, now that we've got our All-Star big man that'll hopefully catapult the C's into the upper echelon of the NBA, for fun, let's go back and look at everyone the Celtics have attempted to fill the void left by KG with since his departure in 2013.
Overshadowed by the trade on draft night that sent Garnett and The Truth to Brooklyn. Kelly Olynyk, selected 13th overall from Gonzaga, has the offensive upside that makes him so productive in college but the defensive demeanor of a deer in headlights. For a seven-footer his handles and distribution are impressive. But if you're going to play the four or five in the NBA, you better be able to play grown-ass-man defense. And in the three and a quarter seasons I've watched him play it's becoming clear Olynyk's defensive ceiling is quite low. It might be because of the void he was left to fill, but defense wins championships, and with KO anchoring the middle, that simply won't happen.
In addition to Olynyk, the Celtics ran with the skeleton of Joel Anthony and another offensive minded big man by the name of Vitor Faverini. In 2013-14 it's safe to say the talent at the five was lackluster at best. But fine, this was a rebuilding year.
Before the start of the 2014-15 season, the Celtics swapped a 10-million dollar trade clause to the Cleveland Cavilers for Tyler Zeller, a move that would allow the Cavs to sign Lebron James back away from Miami. When many Celtics fans read this news, they thought, "Yes! Finally, a seven-footer that can play defense!" Wrong. Although Zeller has more to offer in the rebounding department, his defense wasn't much of an upgrade over Olynyk's. Zeller was the starting center on the opening night of that season and remained in that position the majority of the year. He's still utilized off the bench and fills the role of backup center better than as a starter.
The C's ran with the same center tandem in 2015-16. Their constant downfall last year came from poor interior defense. Jared Sullinger and Amir Johnson held down the paint night in and out. However, you could argue that both those men are true power forwards and not centers. Their defensive numbers don't do them any favors either. Johnson was the team leader in blocks last year with just over one per game. As a starting center in the NBA, you need more defensive production than just over a block a game to get anywhere in the postseason.
Speaking of which, last year the C's were bounced from the playoffs by the former team of their new five, Al Horford. There's no denying it, Horford's presence makes this squad of C's contenders. However, If it weren't for years of sub-par play at the center position before Horford arrived, the glaring need for a star big wouldn't have been so apparent and appreciated now that 42 calls the TD Garden home.
