Fan favorite viewed as ‘weakest link’ in starting lineup for Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics finished the 2021-22 campaign as the NBA’s runner-ups after an astonishing postseason run that saw them come within two wins from claiming their 18th championship banner.

Now, after a summer of retooling, it appears the ball club is heading into 2022-23 with aspirations of thrusting themselves over the proverbial hump and actually claiming the league’s Larry O’Brien Trophy, as the C’s are believed to now have one of, if not the most well-balanced rotation in the NBA and could be argued as he best starting lineup as well.

With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the charge, there’s no doubt that Boston’s first-five unit is viewed highly amongst fans and analysts alike and, in turn, automatically thrusts them into a lucrative spot within virtually everyone’s “best lineups” conversations.

However, even with their stellar crop of ballers up front, like with essentially every team, there are certainly a few lacking spots within their unit and, according to the folks at Bleacher Report, the weakest link on the Boston Celtics appears to be the man stationed in at the starting power forward slot.

Al Horford, a long-time fan favorite of the franchise, returned back the team last offseason after a two-year estrangement whilst playing for both the Philadelphia 76ers and OKC Thunder.

Originally, the trade made by Brad Stevens was met with some backlash after seeing Kemba Walker and a first-round pick being sent packing but, in the end, we saw the veteran have a tremendous impact on this team due to both his in-game production (10.2 points, 7.7 boards, 3.4 assists, 1.3 blocks) as well as his off-court/ locker-room leadership.

Having said that, even with the impressive attributes that Horford brought to the C’s this past season, as things currently stand, writer Grant Hughes still believes the seasoned vet to be Boston’s weakest link within the starting lineup:

"Age is a factor for the veteran big man heading into his 16th season. Horford turned 36 during the 2022 playoffs, and though he was an unquestionably positive contributor on both ends last year, Father Time’s encroachment means there’s no “if” involved in Horford’s decline. It’s a “when” situation.One could imagine him being just a half-step slower on switches against guards, which would have a major impact on the way Boston defends. Horford’s ability to survive against quicker opponents makes him a key figure; his success in that role allows Robert Williams III to lurk off the ball and blow up opponent actions near the rim. The cascading effect of a diminished Horford probably wouldn’t doom the Celtics, as Grant Williams seems ready to handle the same role. But that fact doesn’t do anything to help Horford avoid weak-link status here.We could make this much simpler and use the default route like we did with Hunter in Atlanta. Boston’s other four starters include an All-NBA superstar in Jayson Tatum, an All-Star wing in Jaylen Brown, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart and the guy who might have won that same award if his health had cooperated in Williams.Those guys aren’t exactly the kinds of players opponents look to attack."

Now, regardless Al Horford being listed as the weakest link within the starting lineup for the Boston Celtics, even Hughes noted that his decision was not so much based on lacking play but, rather, him being “a victim of belonging to last year’s best regular-season starting group.”

You can go ahead and call him old, slow, past his prime, etc.

Even if he’s the team’s “weakest link” we at HH, along with actually knowledgable Boston Celtics fans, will continue to call him an absolutely vital member of this championship-aspiring rotation.

Without him, they likely would not have been able to weather the storm that was their sub-.500 play through the first half of last season.

Heading into this year, we expect Big Al to continue to serve as the C’s invaluable veteran leader, both on the sidelines and when on the hardwood.