Even though he might be two years older than current Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, 36-year-old Celtics center Al Horford is considered the 10th-best 5 in the NBA for the coming 2022-23 season by the folks at CBS Sports in a new position ranking article.
He ranks just behind the Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton and just ahead of Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner. Horford seems properly ranked in our estimation.
“Even when he was a perennial All-Star, Horford approached the game like a glue guy,” suggests James Herbert. “He always anchored his team’s defense, rarely made mistakes, and never averaged more than 18.6 points.”
“This does not mean, however, that it has been easy for him to transition to a 3-and-D-and-whatever-else-is-needed role,” he adds. “layoff opponents left Horford alone behind the 3-point line.”
Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 20 https://t.co/xiAjKLiN51
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 25, 2022
“The Celtics left him alone guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo,” continues the CBS Sports analyst. “Neither is a comfortable place to be.”
“At 36 years old, the guy who has been called an “old soul” since he was in college has become a thoroughly new-age big man, switching all over the place, spacing the floor, and making plays off the bounce.”
Can he do it again this coming season? If Boston hopes to win it all this season, they will need something close to what he was able to provide last season, making the Florida product a key part of the Celtics’ rotation.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
