Boston Celtics: Al Horford is deserving of championship opportunity

A championship opportunity for Boston Celtics big Al Horford is a long time coming. 

It’s been a long time coming for Al Horford and it’s been well worth the wait as he will finally get his chance to play for an NBA championship. Before the Boston Celtics won the Eastern Conference crown, Horford appeared in the most playoff games without a trip to the Finals.

Sure enough, it has been a long journey but it’s been worth it especially if Horford can help the Celtics bring the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Boston. The 5-time all-star has played a total of 15 seasons and plays the role of that hard-working, scrappy player who does all the dirty work like defend, rebound and sacrifices to make plays for his fellow teammates.

Horford returned to the Celtics after stints in Philadelphia and Oklahoma City and took advantage of the chance to revitalize both his career and the Celtics as well. It was a very smart decision by general manager Brad Stevens to bring Horford back because he is a perfect fit in their system. He’s the level-headed veteran this young team needed as he serves as a mentor and provides guidance leading by example.

Horford is averaging 12.3 points per game to go along with a solid 9.3 rebounds and even when his shots aren’t falling for him he can still affect the game on the defensive end. He contests shots better than most big men in the league, handles the ball well, facilitates, sets good screens, and just does all the little things to help his team be successful.

Horford can also finish with a variety of moves and has good footwork when working out of the post. While he doesn’t often attempt many shots, when he does he usually makes at least half or more of those attempts. He has made 52% of his shots during the Celtics’ run to the Finals and they will need similar production from him if not more as they prepare to face a stacked Warriors team.

Horford is the ultimate professional, never brags or boasts, let’s his play do the talking for him, and always encourages and uplifts his teammates. We all realize how important Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are to the Celtics’ success but without Horford’s contributions, they most likely would not be in a position to compete for a title.

He always seems to come through when he’s needed the most. Take Game 4 of the Eastern Semifinals against the Bucks. Not only did he play stellar defense going heads up with Giannis Antetokounmpo but he also scored 30 points to help seal a pivotal victory to tie that series at 2 games apiece.

So yes, the old man still has something left in the tank. It appears that the Celtics knew they made a huge mistake when they allowed Horford to get away the last time. They are a complete team with him on their roster and found out that it was difficult to find a viable replacement for him. The main reason why Horford excels with this team is because of his unselfishness and putting his team first.

The Celtics’ style of play allows him to be effective on both ends of the floor. This should be a very entertaining NBA FInals and I can’t wait to see how the Celtics coaching staff deploys Horford against the Warriors. I’m looking forward to the imminent showdown between him and Draymond Green as both players have similar skill sets and are both the heart and soul of their respective teams.

However this series turns out, Horford’s impact will indeed affect the outcome as he prepares to compete for that elusive championship he so truly deserves.