Al Horford has Been the Best Player in the Series

Al Horford has done more than solidify his worth to the Boston Celtics against the Bulls

Going into this series, the Boston Celtics knew one of their biggest issues would be the inability to have the best player on the court. Going against a player like Jimmy Butler sets that standard unbearably high, and chances are most would have said Isaiah Thomas is their only chance to have someone outperform Butler.

For a large portion of this series, Thomas has played better than Butler. The defense of Avery Bradley has been the most important thing in holding him down, opening the door for his teammates to have a bigger impact.

You can nit pick between the games the two of them have played. Neither have been at the absolute best, but both of them have proven that they are capable of taking over games, and there is a massive sample of them doing that in the regular season.

While everyone expected the battle for best player to be between the two of them, it is a different member of the Celtics that has dominated on both ends, having the biggest impact on this series so far. Al Horford showcased what he is capable of during the regular season, but he has killed the Bulls in all his areas of strength that we have not seen before.

More from Hardwood Houdini

Passing, scoring efficiency and interior defense are where the Celtics need Horford to have a dynamic impact, and he has been better than most have been giving him credit for, elevating everything he was doing in the regular season.

There is a lot to say about the impact Horford has on the court, but his numbers tell the story of how effective he has been at everything he has tried to do. Horford has increased his scoring to 16 points per game, increased his rebounding to nine per game and increased his assists to 6.4 per game. Horford is putting up 16/9/6.4 on a series best 56 percent overall shooting, with a deadly 50 percent from three point range.

It took him some time, but Stevens did a masterful job of figuring out where Horford is capable of having his best impact during the regular season. What is happening in the playoffs is that Horford is not only realizing those capabilities, but he is redefining how good he can be in each area.

It may be unrealistic to expect Horford to maintain these shooting percentages, but they are a great testament to his intelligence on offense. Horford is not trying to do it all with his scoring. He is embracing the ball movement while asserting his aggressiveness. Horford continues to make everything easier and more comfortable on both ends, allowing the Celtics to get more reliable contributions.

Horford’s best attribute has been knowing when to attack, and the efficiency of how he chooses to attack. Horford is letting everything come to him, and exploiting the Bulls inability to defend his versatility. Robin Lopez is not capable of chasing Horford around the outside, without getting blown by on the inside. Exploiting the lack of versatility at the five has been a crucial part of these last three victories.

Apr 18, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward / center Al Horford (42) drives to the basket while guarded by Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) during the first quarter in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Horford is not just doing more with his opportunities as a scorer, but he is also setting the tone for everyone else. These last three games have been complete team efforts. Thomas is as always the number one instigator, but Horford is taking on more offensive responsibility than ever before, and that is a huge reason why the ball movement has been so crisp, leading to all the open opportunities, that are too frequently missed right now.

Horford has fully embraced his role at the five in small ball lineups, and the advantage he creates with his versatility and dynamic offensive play as a scorer and a distributor is the biggest reason why the Bulls have nothing to counter the adjustment made by Stevens.

It would not be a stretch to say that Horford has been the best offensive player on either teams in this series, and he has a claim at the best defensive player as well . It would be unfair to take that title away from Bradley with the way he has bottled up Butler, but Horford is containing Lopez, while giving Bradley the help he needs at the rim.

Horford is not letting anyone push him around in the paint. Playing the five has allowed him to spend more time in the paint and less beyond the arc, and every time Butler manages to blow by Bradley, Horford is right there waiting for him, giving the fans some of his most explosive blocks of the season.

The Bulls do not have the shooters to win this series from beyond the arc, and Horford is now making sure that they are not able to play to their strength in the paint. Horford is taking the only potential the Bulls have at easy looks, and making it feel as though there is no way to attack this Celtics defense, that is when they are executing properly at least.

The numbers tell a great story about the kind of efficient and dynamic impact that Horford is having on both ends, but that still does not capture everything he has been doing. Horford is having a career best series and that is because of the way he is impacting his teammates on each play, and filling his desperately needed role brilliantly.

Next: Celtics Fourth Quarter Dominance Returns

Horford has enabled more on both ends for the Celtics than anyone else. Without him to play the five, it is hard to imagine the Celtics having a single other body that can be put into that roll while maintaining the small ball lineup. The complete void in their front court depth alone gives Horford a great case as the most important player in the series, but the best part is that he has combined that with the most complete two way impact of any player in this series. As long as Horford is the best player on the court, the Bulls will not be able to regain control of the series.