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Boston Celtics need to go to Al Horford early on

By Joshua Bateman

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 21: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 21, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 21: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 21, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics need Al Horford to set the tone early on back in Boston

The Boston Celtics had a terrible habit of starting slow in Cleveland. They have allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to jump on them in both of their loses, and they have never been able to fully recover. The Celtics have a better idea of how difficult it is going to be to win this series now and they understand the importance of getting ahead of Cleveland.

The Celtics want to take control of the game and force them into the uncomfortable positions that they took advantage of in games one and two. In Cleveland, the Celtics were not executing as effectively, and that has left them chasing the Cavaliers from the start.

Right now, Al Horford is the player the Celtics need to look at to fix these awful starts. The Celtics have a lot of options that they want to get going, and it will always have to be a collective effort. That being said, Horford is the player they can trust the most, and they need him to set the tone early on more than ever.

The Celtics have some tremendous young talent, that are a lot more likely to break out than Horford. The high of potential of Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum is how this team reaches their peak, but they are not as stable as Horford.

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The Celtics need to make things easier on themselves, and the Cavaliers really have no one that can shut own Horford. He can generate enough offense to let everyone else settle into comfortable positions, and get everyone going.

The Celtics do not need any individual to really break out, but Horford has to be the one that establishes everything the Celtics need to be at the beginning of the game. Horford is the most trusted player on this roster, and everyone else looks to him.

They do not want anyone playing any kind of hero ball, and the standard needs to be taking high percentage shots. Horford is the one player on the team that refuses to take bad shots at any point, and is always looking for the best quality opportunity.

The Celtics know they are capable of beating the Cavaliers, even when they get a strong performance from LeBron James and Kevin Love. The Celtics need balance and need everyone to get going, and Horford is the player they can trust the most to get everyone playing that way.

The Celtics will not go out and try to isolate Horford and force the issues with him, but he has to be an instigator on offense. The Celtics need him to be aggressive as a shooter, because the pressure he can put on the defense open so much out of the post.

Horford knows he is able to attack both Love and Tristan Thompson, so the moment he sees an opportunity to take advantage of, he has to attack it. The Celtics need everyone to be attacking when they need to be attacking, and you will trust Horford a lot more than anyone else to do that effectively.

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The Celtics need everyone to be playing well, but they do not need anyone to think they need to be the ones to take over. If Horford is the one instigating, the Celtics do not have to worry about that, and he is the one that will make sure everyone is playing at a level high enough to beat the Cavaliers.

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