Al Horford is a Step, Not the Answer

Al Horford was a great signing, but he’s not enough to bring the Celtics to the Finals

It’s really hard to find any negatives in the Boston Celtics signing star center Al Horford. He’s able to make the front court significantly stronger by himself, can help in every area they lacked last season and is a bonafide star. Most importantly, he gives the Celtics another option on offense when Isaiah Thomas is having an off night.

Besides Kevin Durant going to Golden State, it’s hard to argue that anyone else was a better signing this off-season. Without Horford, the Celtics are looking at another season finishing third to sixth in the Eastern Conference with 45ish wins. Now, Boston is seen as the favorite to finish second behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, and actually give the Cavaliers a run for their money.

With Boston officially introducing Horford yesterday, the hype surrounding the signing is still there. Everyone is still pumped and imagining the best case scenario for this team. With a veteran in the locker room, and a four-time All-Star, it might be the thing that pushes the Celtics over the top. It definitely made them leap into the second tier of the Eastern Conference, however I have a hard time believing they’ll actually give Cleveland a run for their money come playoff time.

It’s not to say that if they met in the playoffs the Celtics would get swept, although, I would be shocked if it were anything more than a six game series win for the Cavaliers.

For one, the Celtics got beat up by the Cavaliers last season. Yes, they were able to steal one in Quickens Loans Arena, however even that wasn’t a dominating performance. Boston went down early and had to fight their way back in. Without a 39-point fourth quarter outburst and an amazing Avery Bradley game-winning three, Boston would have gotten swept by Cleveland in the regular season.

Sure, Boston’s ability to claw their way back into the game says a lot about their character and never give up attitude, but it gets somewhat swept under the carpet when considering Boston lost their other two games against Cleveland by 12 and 17 points. Not to mention the Celtics were held to just 77 points in their first meeting.

Besides, in the Celtics lone win, the Cavaliers shot an uncharacteristic 26.7 percent from three. It’s not to take away from one of Brad Stevens‘ signature wins, but it does show the Celtics really weren’t that competitive with the defending champions in the regular season.

Now, in walks Al Horford. The star center who can play inside or on the perimeter. The big man coming off a 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game season. The problem is the Cavaliers have ways to match up with Horford. Tristan Thompson is one of the best interior defenders in the NBA, and LeBron James is as tough to score on as anyone.

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In fact, Horford struggled mightily against Cleveland last season. In three games, he did average 14.7 points and 10 rebounds per game – one of only six teams he averaged a double-double against. Although, he was never able to get anything going on offense. He shot a mediocre 41.3 percent from the field and an atrocious 7.7 percent from three.

While Horford is a nightmare to match-up against for some teams, it’s hard to say Cleveland is shaking with fear seeing Horford coming in.

Still, it definitely gives the Celtics another option on offense and a new look on defense, but, overall as a team, they don’t have enough to take down the Cavaliers, yet. Kyrie Irving is coming off a Finals series in which he outplayed two-time MVP Steph Curry, and LeBron James has returned to being considered the best player in the NBA.

Even with their great defensive back court and new rim protector, Irving and James find ways to get their points, and the Celtics don’t have the firepower on offense to match.

As dominating as Horford is, he’s not someone who can take over a game. We also saw Isaiah Thomas struggle in the playoffs due to the slower pace and teams being able to trap the small guard. Even if they develop great chemistry, I have a hard time believing a two-man show without one of them being a superstar can take down the Cavaliers.

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With that being said, Boston still needs a third option before they can truly be considered threats to the Cavaliers.

Maybe the phone is ringing off the hook and Danny Ainge is close to a blockbuster trade, but that seems like wishful thinking. Besides, with the Celtics owning a very deep team and still having plenty of cap room, trying to attract another top-tier free agent next summer might be their best option. Boston is eager to get better right away, but another year of building would be better than gutting their team to add a third star.

Signing Al Horford goes beyond the stat sheet. He opens the door for free agents next summer, adds a veteran to the locker room and forces people to take the Celtics seriously. Still, he’s just one big step in their journey to reaching the NBA Finals, and taking down King James on the way.

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James is a special breed, and it’s near impossible to beat his team without a go-to scorer in the playoffs. Neither Horford or Thomas can provide the Celtics with that in the postseason, but Boston could be one big signing away from dethroning the king.

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