Al Horford’s Impactful 2022 Playoff Run Has Earned Him A Trip To NBA Finals

After collecting his 14th rebound of the night and perhaps the most important one of his career, Al Horford wasn’t sure what to do. His Boston Celtics were seconds away from capturing a Game 7 road win against the No. 1 seed.

With this many professional miles on his body, it was uncommon for him to be in a new situation. There aren’t many things Horford hasn’t experienced on a basketball court in 15 years. As a result, he’s felt almost every type of emotion at the end of games.

But this one was different.

This one was something new.

As he caught the ball and glanced at the clock, he knew the magnitude of this moment. He launched it as high as he could in FTX Arena, waited for the buzzer, and sprinted to halfcourt. There, he was met by all of his teammates from the bench, jumping for joy as reality set in.

Horford had finally reached the NBA Finals after 141 playoff games, the most by anyone in history to not appear on the grandest stage.

Emotionally, it was a roller-coaster of a week for the 15-year veteran, who lost his grandfather on Thursday. Just a few days later, he was in the middle of a closeout victory on the road to achieve his dreams.

Embracing the moment, he made his way to the other side of the court. He dropped to the floor, slammed his palms against the hardwood, and let everything out.

No longer did his sub .500 record in the playoffs matter. No longer did he have to worry about his team being labeled as frauds for losing in the Conference Finals. No longer did he have to feel as if a season was wasted.

In the few seconds Horford spent alone, with fans dispersing to the nearest exit, he reflected on his journey.

“I just didn’t know how to act,” Horford said after Game 7. “Just caught up and excited. A lot of hard work. I’ve been a part of a lot great teams, had a lot of great teammates. I’m so proud of this group.”

This is Horford’s second stint with the Celtics after three successful seasons from 2016 to 2019, in which he got to witness the birth of this core with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. From the moment he stepped on the court with Boston six years ago, he was their vocal leader. He was the calming presence and easygoing character nobody could dislike. If you did, it absolutely said more about you than it did him.

He was there for Brown’s rookie season, followed by Tatum’s – helping both teams reach the East Finals when they probably shouldn’t have. He’s been there to guide Marcus Smart, helping him mature and blossom into a well-rounded guard.

“These guys – I’ve seen JB come into the league and take steps,” he said. “I’ve seen JT, the same thing. I’ve seen Smart grow. For me, it’s just special to be with them and be able to help them. I’m really grateful to be in this position.”

As a rookie in April 2008, going toe-to-toe with one of the fiercest defensive groups in the modern era, Horford put up a strong fight. In retrospect, he probably didn’t get the credit he deserved for battling against Kevin Garnett in a seven-game war. At the time, Garnett had just been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and was still at the peak of his powers as a 31-year-old machine.

Not only was Garnett still a physical menace in his early Boston days, but one can imagine how intimidating it must be for a rookie to line up next to that version of KG in the playoffs, especially given how motivated and hungry Boston’s trio was in 2008. Most first-year bigs would crumble in that moment, or get supremely dominated and roll over after taking the first punch.

Those Hawks pushed Boston to an elimination game in the first round while Horford played 277 minutes in the series (39.6 per game). Along with leading every player in minutes, he outrebounded everyone on the Celtics. From his very first opportunity in the postseason, you could sense the desire to every bit of the dirty work. Shot attempts and post-ups didn’t matter to him — something that simply doesn’t apply to many top-three draft picks in NBA history.

Following Atlanta’s first-round defeat in 2008, Horford and the Hawks would go on remain competitive in the East for the next eight years. But, they were never able to break through the door. They would get bounced in the first round three times, reach the second round on four separate occasions, and ultimately make the Conference Finals in 2015 after a 60-22 season.

Horford was unquestionably Atlanta’s best player during the Mike Budenholzer era. He led the 60-win Hawks in Box Plus-Minus (BPM) and Win Shares, and became one of the best drop-coverage rim protectors in basketball despite being an undersized center.

Unfortunately for Atlanta, LeBron James stood in the way during that 2015 series. They became the latest victim of James and yet another team he stonewalled in the eight-year stretch from 2011 to 2018. Quite frankly, LeBron could have lined up all 14 East opponents before each season and posed the question, “Who’s coming in second?”

Horford’s luck didn’t get much better when he first landed in Boston. Upon signing with the Celtics in 2016 free agency, it almost became a carbon copy of the Hawks. The Celtics would be the feel-good story of the next two years, grabbing the No. 1 seed in 2017 and making the East Finals in back-to-back seasons despite numerous injuries. But they still never had a clear answer for LeBron, who humiliated Boston in 2017 and narrowly escaped them the following year in a tight Game 7.

That’s partly why this 2022 playoff run was so special to Horford. It’s why the emotions were too overwhelming in the moment. It’s why his teammates smothered him on the court like he just hit a game-winner at the buzzer to send them to the NBA Finals, even if his Game 7 performance didn’t exactly jump off the screen.

“Winning is hard,” Horford said postgame while shaking his head in relief. “We’ve talked about this throughout the year. Even though we’ve played many years in the league, this team – this is us going through the process. Figuring it out, understanding how to win with this team and this group. It’s experience after experience. These are battle-tested teams we’ve been playing. We continue to grow.”

Once he left Boston in 2019 to sign with the 76ers, it wasn’t clear that Horford would ever have this opportunity again. Considering he was a shell of himself in Philadelphia and ultimately traded to Oklahoma City in a salary dump after one season, there were no guarantees he would even find himself on another Finals contender. He could have easily been moved to another team near the bottom of the standings.

Financially, it was wise for Horford to chase the money in 2019 after Boston reportedly low-balled him in free agency. He felt he was worth more than they offered, although he didn’t exactly show it in Philly. His four-year, $109 million contract was a tough pill for the Sixers to swallow once the Horford and Embiid pairing didn’t give them an advantage. But, Horford had to ensure he got another huge pay day before transitioning to the next phase of his career.

Luckily for Boston, there was an avenue to recreating the defensive culture they sorely missed. The Celtics, who had Kemba Walker’s average annual salary of $28.3 million on their books, were able to send Walker (along with a first-round pick) to OKC in exchange for Horford.

Now, three years later, the 2019 breakup has worked out for both sides.

This 2022 playoff run has perfectly encapsulated Horford’s career. He has molded into any type of player his coach needs for a particular matchup. There is never a complaint about his role, usage, or responsibilities.

Against Brooklyn, Horford had to serve as a help defender, mostly in the mid-range. He was tasked with crowding Kevin Durant and shutting off the paint without Robert Williams on the floor for most of the series.

He followed that series by returning to his 2017 self, when he earned the reputation of being an excellent Giannis defender. While nobody in the universe can slow down the two-time MVP, Horford was prepared for the attack. On top of drawing charges and being in the right spots on Antetokounmpo’s drives, he just weathered the storm and forced Milwaukee into tough, contested shots in the paint.

That said, his offensive production in the Milwaukee series was more important than his defensive highlights.

Boston would not have escaped that matchup if Horford didn’t explode for 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting in Game 3, reclaiming homecourt for the time being. Considering Milwaukee would win the next two games, it actually saved the Celtics’ season.

That’s really the beauty of Horford’s comeback season. Even at age 36, he can mold into anything your team is missing. We often point to his defensive skills, but it was his offensive boost that helped get Boston past the second round.

Need a spacing big that can open the floor for Tatum and Brown? Bring in Horford.

Need a dynamic screener that will roll hard to the rim and pull in weakside defenders? Bring in Horford.

Need one of the best passing big men of the last 20 years, who makes the extra pass just as often as Tim Duncan did? Bring in Horford.

Perhaps the most meaningful skill Horford is giving the Celtics is his understanding of modern spacing. He was coached by Budenholzer, who coaches a five-out offense and ensures all of his players know the value of spacing.

Whether it’s in pick-in-pop action after setting a ball-screen, or just being a corner spacer, Horford’s shooting has unlocked the Celtics’ halfcourt offense when things get messy. He is 31-of-72 on catch-and-shoot threes during this playoff run, shooting 43.1%:

He is making teams pay for sending two to the ball when Tatum and Brown run their actions. If you load up the strong side, he’s waiting in the corner.

If opponents duck under the screen on his dribble-handoff actions with one of Boston’s ball-handlers, he’s not hesitating to let it fly. Any slight hesitation can put an offense in the mud pretty quickly, especially during the playoffs.

Aside from extra points (which are great), the added benefit of Horford’s shooting has been how much he’s pulling terrific defenders away from the paint. After a few makes, they are no longer giving him the open threes.

That is when Horford realizes he can still step on the accelerator and attack closeouts by getting into the lane:

It’s safe to say nobody, maybe outside of Horford’s family, thought he possessed this much speed, burst, and athleticism at this stage. After all, he’s played over 35,000 total minutes in his NBA career and looked rough the last two years.

Yet, he’s still showing how much lift remains in those legs. And he’s not afraid run in the open floor when he sees a window to score:

But, defense is where Horford and the Celtics hang their hat. In the East Finals against Miami, Horford’s weakside recoveries were otherworldly. He didn’t just settle for good, solid defense. He wanted to destroy Miami any time they challenged him.

Without a doubt, Horford set the tone defensively in the first quarter of Game 7 by simply being everywhere in help situations. He rotated to the corner to contest shots when called upon, leading to transition opportunities for Boston:

He also rotated, on time, to stifle the Heat’s rim attempts while he was patrolling the paint:

Celtics head coach Ime Udoka didn’t let Horford’s defensive effort go unnoticed after clinching the Finals berth.

“It’s incredible what he’s done all season,” Udoka said. “He came into training camp in extremely great shape with a chip on his shoulder. Prideful. Wanted to come back to Boston. For him to play 44 minutes at this stage of his career and lay it all out there. Guarding bigs, smalls, and everything in-between.”

That’s another thing: 44 minutes.

Who could have seen old man Horford playing that much during his second stint with the Celtics?

It goes back to the identity Horford has created for himself as a teammate and professional. His ability — and willingness — to pick up the slack in any area, put more weight on his shoulders, and carry the responsibility of a veteran who’s itching for a championship.

Through a statistical lens, Horford is never going to be fully appreciated. His resume won’t be considered one of the best of this era.

As a teammate, however, his selflessness has allowed every one of his teammates to shine. He was the fuel behind the Hawks getting recognized on a national level in 2015. Now, he’s lifting up a 25-year-old Jaylen Brown and 24-year-old Jayson Tatum, earning his reputation as the most likable character in the locker room.

“Nobody deserves it more than this guy,” Brown said while sitting next to a jovial Horford after Game 7. “Just his energy, his demeanor, coming in every day and being a professional. Taking care of his body, being a leader.

Brown didn’t hold back, as Horford was a part of his development from day one.

“I’m proud to be able to share this moment with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, and a guy like Al Horford.”