SUMMARY
- Al Horford will be making his second NBA Finals appearance as the Celtics take on the Mavericks this year.
- Horford is the Celtics biggest key to success.
Al Horford has had a terrific run in the NBA with a career that’s spanned over 17 seasons. And once again, the Boston Celtics have made it to the NBA Finals under his tenure. This might be the most crucial finals appearance this team has ever made considering how their legacy needs some justification to it. But this only pertains to the current roster that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are leading.
AL HORFORD MY GOODNESS 😤 pic.twitter.com/rWoi69x7NI
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 10, 2022
The Celtics had a fairly dominant run during the regular season achieving a 64-18 record. This is the fourth-best regular season run recorded by the Celtics all time. Over the last few years, they’ve been an adamant team to face in the playoffs. However, having a great regular season and falling short of the title isn’t an option for this team anymore. And for Horford? This might be one of his last chances to win an NBA Championship.
Al Horford is the Celtics’ biggest weapon
The Celtics will be facing the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals this season. Dallas hasn’t made the finals since winning the title in 2011 with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd. But they’ve certainly been far more dominant than most of us would have expected them to be this post-season. Dallas also had a tougher road to the finals facing three of the top four teams in the Western Conference.
In Kristaps Porzingis’ absence, Al Horford was brought into the starting lineup. During their last finals appearance, Horford was one of the reasons they managed to get two wins against the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game as their starting center. Not only was Horford dominant for a 36-year-old big man back then, but he’s still putting up valuable numbers for the Celtics.
We witnessed Horford have a couple of dominant performances against the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs this year as well. Even if Porzingis returns, Horford’s role coming off the bench would be pivotal as he averages 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Al Horford’s journey to stardom is very underrated
Al Horford came into the league in 2007 as the third overall pick. Even though he never won a Rookie of the Year title or too many other accolades, the 38-year-old has been an important figure on whichever team he’s played for. The 5x All-Star led the Atlanta Hawks to consistent playoff appearances and its first ECF series since the 1960s. There were a few speed bumps that hindered his growth as a player, however, he overcame those shoulder injuries and fought through.
Al Horford on trying to get the title:
“I’m starving for it. We’re ready, we can’t wait.”
— CelticsUnite (@CelticsUnite18) May 28, 2024
The only times he never made the playoffs was during the in 2014, his injury season. And he didn’t make the playoffs during his brief stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2020-21 season. Horford is only a year younger than LeBron James, and he still manages to have a similar impact on his team.