Boston Celtics: 3 surprise players that could land starting gigs in 2021-22

Surprise Boston Celtics starter No. 2) Al Horford

After the four-year, $54 million extension Robert Williams III received earlier this month, many may be under the impression that he’ll be the frontrunner to land the starting gig at the five for the Boston Celtics this coming season.

Frankly, after what he did in the first five last year (9.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks on 70 percent shooting), it’s easy to see why many would be interested in seeing him re-inserted into this same role in 2021-22.

However, one mustn’t forget that Al Horford is now back in Beantown and, in turn, will almost certainly be competing to be the team’s starting pivot.

Last year, the veteran big proved to still have plenty left in the tank when serving at the five for the OKC Thunder.

Taking part in a bounce-back season after enduring one of the worst campaigns of his career the year before (2019-20) with the Philadelphia 76ers, Horford went on to post 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and just shy of a block per game on 45 percent shooting from the floor and 39 percent shooting from deep.

While Williams may be known for his stupendous rim-protecting abilities (averages nearly 3.8 blocks per 75 possessions), the 14-year pro has made a name for himself over his tenure as a defensive anchor, boasting a career defensive box plus-minus of +1.1 and having an NBA All-Defensive selection to his name (2016).

On top of this, Horford is certainly as good of a distributor as Williams has proven to be (which is a compliment for both parties) while his floor spacing abilities are miles ahead in comparison (shoots 36 percent from deep for his career while Time Lord has only attempted two deep balls, both of which were misses).

Because of these aspects of his game, coupled with his ample experience and proven excellence in the league in a starting gig (5x All-Star and an All-NBA selection), Al Horford will absolutely be pushing for the main center position this coming fall.

Quite frankly, we at HH believe he’d be the best option for the Boston Celtics this season.