How Al Horford Came to Boston
The Celtics signed Al Horford to four-year max deal prior to the 2016-2017 season. Since then Horford has been everything the Celtics were expecting. So far in his Celtics career he has averaged 13.7 points a game, while improving his three-point shooting. Horford hasn’t been the best player on the planet, but that’s not what the Celtics pictured. This year he made his first All-Star game as a Celtic, but many have said he is overrated. Al deserves an All-Star nod and has been crucial to the Celtics’ success the last two seasons. There are many reasons why Horford has had such a big impact.
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Horford’s Signing Was Huge for Celtics
Before Horford signed with the Celtics there was a notion that big names wouldn’t sign in Boston. In the summer of 2016 the Celtics were attempting to land both Horford and Kevin Durant in free agency. Durant chose Golden State and many people saw Horford as a good signing, but not the superstar Celtics fans had been expecting. Horford has been better than many people give him credit for. His singing was in many ways signaled that the Celtics were back to being contenders.
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Horford’s Performance
Horford creates problems for defenses because of his shooting ability. Since joining the Celtics, he has shot 39 percent from three-point range. That’s five percent better than when he was in Atlanta. He is averaging five assists a game with the Celtics, a huge increase from his 2.7 average in Atlanta. Horford has also been elevating the play of Boston’s young stars Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier, as well as Kyrie Irving. He is very good at setting picks and maintaining contact as long as possible. This allows his teammates to get open shots or drive to the basket of his screens. The Celtics are a very young team making Horford’s consistency even more important.
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Expectations for Remainder of the Season
Horford is not going to put up numbers like Kyrie. He isn’t that type of scorer and the Celtics don’t need him to be. Horford has been extremely effective because he affects the game on defense and offense. Al may not have godly stats but Horford is a big reason for the Celtics Success over the past two seasons.