Boston Celtics: No Need to Worry About Al Horford

It appears as though Al Horford’s injury will be just fine going forward

When Al Horford returned to the court for the Boston Celtics in London, everyone thought it was okay to stop worrying about the fact that he was held out of the last game before the trip. Then, after he was held out of last practice, all that concern was back. The timing was great because of all the extra time off the Celtics have, but fans know how important it is to have Horford on the court

He is the primary offensive facilitator, and is the most important player when it comes to establishing great ball movement. Throw in the fact that he is a defensive player of the year favorite, and you cannot understate how important it is to have him on the court, even if people outside of Boston want to tell you that he is overpaid.

Looks like that little extra rest after the London trip was all he needed, because Horford is expected to play against the Pelicans tomorrow. Horford revealed that he was held out of practice because of the same issue that held him out of the Timberwolves game, but he emphasized that it is not something that should be a problem the rest of the way (Via Chris Forsberg).

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With the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers going through a bit of a rough patch right now, the Celtics know they have an opportunity to build on their lead. They have a manageable schedule coming up, and are in a better position than anyone chasing them.

If you take Horford out of the lineup, then all the advantages are lost. He is absolutely vital to everything the Celtics want to do on both ends, and having him miss time after this extended break would have ruined any advantage they could have gotten from that rest.

With how cautious the Celtics have been with injuries, if Horford is telling you it will not hold him back, he is probably safe to trust. If the Celtics thought that he might hold the team back, or playing could lead to further problems down the line, then he would not be risked no matter what the opportunity is in the regular season.

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There was a brief injury scare with both Jayson Tatum and Horford following that game in London, but it appears as though the time off really has given them adequate time to get back to 100 percent. The Celtics are fresh and healthy and getting this news from Horford is all they needed to hear in anticipation of their next game.

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