Where Has Al Horford’s Scoring Gone?

Al Horford’s assist totals might have increased this season, however, his scoring numbers have plummeted, a troubling sign for the Boston faithful.

Hopefully, Al Horford understands.

Hopefully, he comprehends that a four-point performance in 36 minutes of action while shooting 2-of-11 from the field is not what Boston Celtics fans originally expected when general manager Danny Ainge tossed a four-year, $113 million deal in his direction prior to Independence Day.

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Despite receiving just 2.0 fewer minutes per game in February in comparison with last month, Horford’s offensive firepower has taken an abrupt nosedive. His field goal percentage has dipped to just 39.3 percent, down considerably from January’s 47.5 percent. From three-point land, this figure tumbles even further, as Horford is hitting on just one-third of his attempts from long range. Frighteningly, Horford’s involvement in the Celtics offensive approach has decreased as well, with his field goal attempts per game falling to 10.2 compared with 13.2 per outing last month.

Together, these numbers have created the cherry on top of the rancid February ice cream sundae that Horford has pieced together, a scoring average of just 10.5 points per game. In January, the center averaged 15.6 points per game, complete with 22-point outings in bouts against the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards. This month, Horford has yet to top 16 points, failing to sniff double digits in scoring since February 15.

When Horford attempted just five shots en route to a meager eight points in Boston’s narrow defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, many blamed his ineffectiveness on a lack of offensive opportunities. Even Isaiah Thomas stipulated that the team needed to be more effective in providing Horford with scoring chances.

However, this argument does not stack up when Horford’s showing against the Raptors is sandwiched between two outings in which he shot a combined 5-for-21 from the field. In his three full quarters of action against Detroit, Horford was provided with a plethora of open jump shots from midrange off of pick-and-pop opportunities. After missing his first three attempts from deep, he became tentative from this range, passing up open looks that he needs to take in order to continue to be a viable threat to defensive fronts.

One glaring hole in Horford’s shot as of late has been a tendency to fade away, leaning back when shooting rather than sending all of his motion in the direction of rim. Instead of stepping into his shot, Horford is putting weight on his heels, rocking backwards in the midst of his shot motion propelling the ball towards the hoop.

A lack in shooting consistency has not completely ruled out Horford’s offensive value, however.

The reason why the Celtics opted to chase down Horford with a lucrative offer was not solely predicated on his ability to put the ball in the hoop. Despite the unmistakable fact that Horford’s 15.6 points per 36 minutes is his lowest mark since 2011-12, the 6’10” center is finding other ways to put Boston in the position to emerge victorious from contests.

Although his shooting touch was absent throughout the Celtics’ 104-98 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday evening, the squad would not have pulled out the momentum-building triumph without Horford’s services. He dished out five assists on the night, including a dime which led to the go-ahead bucket in the midst of a chaotic final minute of the fourth quarter.

With Thomas swamped with Pistons defenders, Horford took the onus upon himself to create some offensive firepower, attempting to bypass Detroit center Aron Baynes on his way to the rim from the top of the key. As Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson hedged into the lane to prevent Horford from exploting his speed advantage over Baynes and driving to the bucket, he utilized his vastly improved court vision to spot rookie Jaylen Brown open in the corner.

After a crisp pass from Horford, Brown knocked down the game-winning jumper in the process of drawing a foul from Marcus Morris, a prime example of how Horford’s passing skills have rejuvenated the Celtics offense and transformed it into a force to be reckoned with. With the performance Horford pushed his assist average to 5.3 per 36 minutes, a considerable improvement over the 3.6 assists that he posted in the same time frame with the Atlanta Hawks in 2015-16.

Next: Avery Bradley’s Injury Becoming a Mysterious Concern

Horford is still making an impact on the Celtics’ push towards the peak of the Eastern Conference postseason push despite his ineffectiveness shooting the rock. Now, all he needs is to shore up his woes from the field in order to approach the skyscraper-esque expectations that Celtics fans have bestowed upon him.