Six Seasons and a Trophy — How Al Horford’s Sacrifice Has the Celtics Streets Ahead and in the Finals
I just started rewatching the show Community. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a show about a study group at a community college that gets up to various high jinks. Its strength lies in its lovable characters and how those characters fit their respective roles in the ensemble. You probably see where I’m going with this, but the show is the perfect metaphor for what it means to be a team, and what it means when a member of that team is missing.
Community had a controversial run that spanned several threatened cancellations, including the exit and then return of its creator Dan Harmon. Throughout it all, the show developed a bit of a mantra, “six seasons and a movie.” I really think that mantra, and intense fan pressure, kept the show on longer than maybe was best (the first 3 seasons are some of the best TV ever, after that it’s a litttllleeee rocky). It was six seasons ago that Al Horford signed a contract with the Celtics and turned that team from cute story to legit contender. He’s now on the cusp of a trophy. Like Community’s seasons 4 and 5, it’s probably best for everyone if we forget those exist.
When thinking about the importance of the Celtics’ ensemble cast, and Al Horford’s role in it, I’m reminded of the episode “The Art of Discourse.” In that episode Troy, Donald Glover’s character, says the following: “My uncle was struck by lighting. You’d think it would give you superpowers, but now he just masturbates in movie theaters.” That has nothing to do with what I’m writing about, that line just made me laugh. What does have to do with my point is the plot of the episode. The episode revolves around Pierce, the old codger played by Chevy Chase, who embarrasses fellow study group member Shirley. The show makes obvious throughout its entire run that Pierce’s… outdated sense of humor and ridiculous antics are a common source of friction, and this is the last straw (spoiler alert: until the end of the episode). The result is that they vote to kick Pierce out of the study group.
Almost immediately they come to a realization. Pierce has the most difficult job in the study group, he’s the recipient of all their negativity, the butt of all the jokes. Pierce is their scapegoat, he does the dirty work. Without him, someone else has to take his place and do the real unrewarding shit. For this very specific reason, Al Horford is the Celtics’ Pierce (seriously, Pierce is a pretty horrible person and Al seems like the best).
Al Horford’s commitment to excelling on the margins, and doing the shit nobody else wants to do, is a foundational reason the Celtics are in the Finals. Al covers the center so Rob doesn’t have to. Al spaces to the corner to drag out the opposing center so the Cs can still play big, despite him rarely touching the ball. Al sets screen after screen, takes hit after hit. Al preserves the Celtics’ stars and puts them in positions to succeed, and like Jeff Winger’s study group, I’m afraid we won’t appreciate it fully until he’s gone.
The advanced stats don’t just support this, they’d probably say that’s an understatement if they could talk (in which case we’d be fucked as a society, sentient numbers? RUN!!). Per pbpstats, the Celtics are a cool 12.3 points per 100 possessions better in the playoffs with Al on the court than not. You know what’s even crazier? Al has a bigger impact on the Celtics’ net rating in the playoffs than Jayson Tatum. Part of that is due to some unsustainably hot shooting with Tatum off the floor. Part of that is Al being excellent at every part of basketball. He has no weaknesses.
But what I want to focus on are the parts of Al’s game that don’t make the highlight reel. The shit he does possession after possession to either space the floor, give Tatum a mismatch, or control the tempo and pace. As you might have gleaned from the chart I linked above, Horford somehow has a more profound effect on the playoff offense than the defense, so that’s what I’m going to focus on (also because I’m lazy and writing about defense is hard).
I’ll Shatter Your World!
Al Horford is the human embodiment of the Celtics’ offensive mantra. I imagine Udoka nodding manically whenever he sees a possession like this unfold. This isn’t a play call, this isn’t a set play. This is semi-transition, Horford just thinks he can get Tatum an advantage with a nice hard screen on Butler, and once it connects he floats into the perfect position. There’s zero hesitation on what happens next, pocket pass, one dribble, oop to Rob. That’s your center making that play. 1 dribble and a move.
Udoka has hammered the Spursian offensive mantra into the Celtics all season, despite it being against the natural inclinations of their two wing stars. Quick, smart decisions. Move the ball. Play fast. Take open shots, and most importantly, play hard. Play streets ahead of the defense. No-one does those things with more consistency than Al Horford. Let’s dive in to some stats that highlight what I’m getting at (all stats from the playoffs).
Horford possesses a rare combination of skills. He’s a crafty passer that can dribble and shoot. He makes quick, correct decisions on the perimeter or in the paint. Most importantly? He does it all in the body of a center. There are very few guys in NBA history at his size that possess a similar skillset, nevermind in the league currently. It’s not just his skillset that makes him special, it’s his willingness to sacrifice his own stats to empower his teammates. Community’s Pierce possessed a natural ability to ignore any and all criticism and absorb insult after insult. The group didn’t know it, but it was that very skill that made him so valuable. Horford likewise will make decision after decision without concern as to his stat line.
Nothing makes that more clear than the stats above. Not only does Al pass the third most often, only behind our point guard Marcus Smart and pseudo point guard Jayson Tatum, he also leads the starters in passes per touch pretty easily. Even Timelord, who is regularly criticized for over passing, passes less often per touch than Al. His passes aren’t just lazy handoffs and useless kickouts either. The guy is generating a very solid 6.6 potential assists a game, a nearly identical number to Jaylen Brown, who is regularly asked to create on ball. And if Al isn’t single-handily dragging the Celtics towards a motion offense with his passing, he’s probably doing it with his screening, where he leads the team in screen assists (Editor’s note: If anyone knows where I can find total number of screens set, please let me know).
This play encapsulates it all.. Spaces out to the corner. Pump and go on one of the elite defensive bigs in the league. Picture perfect lob. Then Miami tries to attack quick the other way and Horford cuts Bam off in semi-transition. THEN, he plays picture perfect drop pick and roll coverage (Lowry got a BS foul call shortly after, naturally).
Look at where he’s operating from, how much the defense has to respect him, and how quick he makes these passes and decisions. This is not normal for a center. I repeat, THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR A CENTER. Tatum misses the shot, but that’s not the important part. The important part is how seamlessly Al keeps the wheels of the offense greased even when he’s stationed out above the break.
Al’s commitment to making his teammates’ lives easier is glaringly obvious in his screen setting. Al WORKS to get into position and make sure he gets a good clean screen off. On a team of, how do I say this politely, reluctant screeners, that’s invaluable. Sometimes it’s off ball to spring Tatum, who politely pitches back for a Horford three, splash. Other times it’s absolutely battling Bam Adebayo to make sure he hits a square enough screen to get a switch, and then fight with a guard for rebounding position. His only reward was watching Tatum airball a 3. I guarantee the only thing on Horford’s mind after that possession was how they were getting a stop on the other end.
Streets Ahead
Perhaps my favorite part of Al’s game is simply the tempo and pace at which he plays. That play above where Tatum missed the shot from the corner is a good example, but he sets the Celtics’ speed limit every time he touches the ball, not just in the frontcourt. Lowry misses a free throw? You better believe Al is hitting Jaylen opposite side for a open lane to the hoop. Al strips your ass in a 30 point blowout? You better believe he’s beating 4 Heat players up the court and going to the line. This man is 35 years old! I’m getting hyped just watching the replay again, and I clipped the shit a few days ago.
I once said about Aaron Nesmith that his greatest offensive weapon was existing. What I meant by that was the spacing he provides opens the lane for our better players to attack, despite his other… weaknesses. Al provides that without any of the downside of having to play Aaron Nesmith (I still believe!). This is a sloppy play by Jaylen that’s ultimately saved by a nice drive by Derrick White. The part to focus on is Jimmy Butler, the Heat’s most impactful off ball defender sitting in the corner camped next to a 6'10” center. He watches sheepishly as Strus gets beat for another layup by one of Boston’s attackers. Horford doesn’t even touch the ball on this play and he’s having a positive impact.
Here’s an even better example with Al as the lone big being guarded by Bam. Bam doesn’t even flinch on this Marcus Smart drive. Sure is a lot easier to finish at the rim when you take their center 4 feet out of the paint.
Why are Bam and Butler so concerned? Al Horford is shooting 44.8% from the corners in the playoffs, and 40.9% from above the break. He’s at 43.1% on catch and shoot 3s and scoring at a ridiculous (for a big man) 1.16 Points Per Possession on spot ups. You cannot ignore Al Horford the second he’s in the frontcourt, and the Celtics benefit every single possession from it, even if we don’t always realize it.
In a lot of ways Al Horford revitalized the franchise after the Big 3 left. We went from a spunky crew of underdogs to conference finalists the second he stepped foot on the parquet. After two rocky years away and six years after he first signed, Al is back. 6 seasons and a trophy. Unlike Community, which never made that movie, I hope the Cs can deliver on the second part of that promise, even just for Al’s sake.
