The Boston Celtics season rests on the shoulders of Al Horford

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are the headline stars for the Boston Celtics. But Al Horford is the story. He’s one of those guys you don’t really appreciate until he’s gone — something the team learned during the 2020-21 season when their frontcourt rotation sorely lacked depth.

Horford fits just perfectly with what the Celtics do. Even though he’s averaging a somewhat pedestrian 9.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per contest, his value is far greater than the counting stats indicate.

Let’s talk about the offense first. During pick-and-roll action, Al Horford is great at sealing his man, so when the defense switches, he can put his defender in a “lock”, and thus get good position underneath the basket. Even if a defender pushes him out, he still can post up. Horford’s good around the rim and can finish either with a hook shot or face up and shoot from midrange.

In addition, he’s an excellent passer and the ball never sticks with him. Horford is especially dangerous when he’s on a short roll, because when defense collapses, he can find the open man in the corners.

Al Horford’s versatility is a major asset to the Boston Celtics defense

Now, on the defensive end, his impact is being felt none less.

The Boston Celtics big drops on pick-and-rolls, containing dribble penetration in the process. Sometimes there is a switch, and that could be more of a reoccurrence come playoff time. Al Horford is good at maintaining his position and protecting the roll man, keeping him in a position, where he couldn’t be a lob threat. A lot of centers in the league like to do just that on offense.

Horford also defends other team’s best big guys, remaining also vocal and active to help keep opponent in front. When your last line of defense is reliable and never short on communication, it becomes much easier to defend. Even though he’s not as athletic as Robert Williams III, he’s smarter and a more complete defender.

Again, don’t get me wrong, the Celtics need a healthy Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to advance deep in the playoffs. But they can win an early-round series without one of them depending on a matchup. Without Horford, I’m not sure that they would be able to.