3 long-term Al Horford replacements the Boston Celtics must consider
By Seth Quinn
Boston Celtics long-term replacement No. 2) John Collins
A player heavily involved in trade rumors both in general and with the Boston Celtics specifically over the past few months, John Collins is likely an attainable power forward replacement for the team in the future, especially if the new-look Hawks disappoint this coming season.
Collins is an intriguing option mainly due to his solid all-around game and crazy athleticism that heavily contrasts Al Horford’s more grounded game.
Celtics fans and players already love how Rob Williams plays, so why not add another elite lob threat that can crash the offensive glass and block shots?
Having both of those players in a frontcourt would likely not only work well in regards to winning basketball games but would also produce plenty of highlight plays, making them extremely fun to watch for fans.
Along with his athleticism, Collins can stretch the floor, run in transition, and rebound well for a power forward, making him a great complement for Rob Williams in the frontcourt.
In terms of stats, Collins peaked during the 2019-20 season at 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks a game while Trae Young was still arriving on the scene and before center Clint Capela was traded for.
Collins has mellowed out the past few seasons to 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks a game, which are still good stats given the talent he has around him.
If the C’s were to acquire the athletic big man, it would be interesting to see how he’s used, and in turn, what his stats would turn out to be.
The toughest part about potentially acquiring Collins will be the price that it will take to get him, given he’s currently only 24 years old, but is a proven player on a team that made the Eastern Conference Finals just two seasons ago.
Along with the price, the forward isn’t the defender or passer that Al Horford is, so from a skill set standpoint, he may not necessarily fit well in Ime Udoka’s offensive and defensive systems as seamlessly as Horford did last season.
However, from a pure talent perspective, the youngster is likely the best player the C’s could realistically get to replace Horford without completely killing the current roster’s depth.