Three fun facts I like to point out

These are for the haters of the C's or doom and gloom fans of this team. I find myself referencing them a lot this year and they always seem to take people by surprise and make them pause and think. 

FACTS

1. Horford and Brown are 10 years and 3 months apart in age. Kareem and Magic are 12 years and 4 months apart. The Celtics could draft a one and done future all-star top 5 this year who could still be closer in age to Horford than Magic was to Kareem. 

2. LeBron James has more than TWICE the career minutes played as Al Horford (+ 3 Olympics) at roughly 47,000 to 23,000. He is also 18 months older than Al, who only played an additional 2,800 mins in 3 years at Florida (basically one NBA season with a trip to the Finals for James).

3. Horford is a full year younger than KG was when he was traded to Boston in 2007, TWO years younger than Ray and just 4 months older than Pierce was. KG had close to 40,000 career minutes when he got here.

So, you're saying Horford = Kareem and Brown or some unknown as of now next year draft pick = Magic? LOL.

Maybe not. I'm not sure what your point is with number 1.

Number 2 indicates that Horford is a low mileage player. That's good for us.

I don't think Horford is as good a player as any you mention in number 3.

gyso wrote:So, you're saying Horford = Kareem and Brown or some unknown as of now next year draft pick = Magic?  LOL.

Maybe not. I'm not sure what your point is with number 1.

Number 2 indicates that Horford is a low mileage player.  That's good for us.

I don't think Horford is as good a player as any you mention in number 3.

They're just facts I point out. I obviously never imply that Horford and Brown or Horford and unknown 2017 lotto pick are going to be two of the greatest players of all-time. My point is that you can built a contender around a talented veteran big man and a young superstar even if a dozen years separates them in age. 

I don't think Horford's prime as a PF/C from his 2nd season in Atlanta (2008-09) until present/ongoing will be better than Ray Allen's prime as a SG starting in his 4th season (1999-2000) and ending after his 2nd season in Boston 2008-09. Even if they both had similar all-star game appearances and All-NBA seasons. But I do think we can see more of Horford's prime years in a Celtic uniform than we did of Ray's. If Horford plays at or near his best through his age 33 season (like Kareem and Ray did) then we will get all FOUR of his expensive contract years at a cost worth paying for. 

That is why the low mileage and him being another guy who stays in just supurb shape are so important. After age 33 guys like that decline and you get them at a level below what they once were for another few years. For Kareem he went from top 5 in the league to mere all-star (like KG did after his 2009 injury). For Al and Ray you'll have two guys dropping from all-star and co-best player on a very good team to borderline all-star but still good enough to be a 3rd best player on a contender and vitally important.

Even though he made All-NBA teams until 1986, Kareem stopped being a 25p/10r/3b absolute force of a player in 1981 at age 33. He was at 37 mins per game that year, roughly where he'd been every since arriving in LA (he was a 40+ min guy in Milwaukee, yeesh), but shortly after 1981 he was down to only 32-33 mins a game, 6-8 boards and 1-2 blocks and was an all-star every year until he retired at 41, but really only deserved it through 1986. So he had a 2nd tier of 5 seasons (1981-1986). Ray had a 2nd tier of 3 (2009-2012) and then dropped down to a 3rd 24-26 mins 6th/7th man role his last two years in Miami, which was when Kareem dropped down to the #3-#4 option, borderline all-star tier his last 3 years in LA.

So starting in 2018-19 we'll have a 33 turning 34 LeBron James who will have taken that fall (finally) from Top 5 player to mere all-star. All great players go through this right around this age. Russell and Jordan avoided it better than most. Magic was retired with HIV. Bird, Kobe, Duncan, West and Wilt all clearly went through it. 

And that ties directly into #2 when it comes to low mileage allowing Al to maybe do 90% of the things he does on the court now that he could do in his early-mid 20's (- elite rebounding) but has added some skills as well (3 point shot, playmaking) and is still 100% in his prime. How long can he extend that is the question?

I think we'll get 4 years of this Horford (so two more years than we saw of Ray's prime) and then hopefully he signs an extension and stays in that 3rd or 4th best player tier into his age 34-37 seasons, because by then 1-2 young all-stars might be ready to lead this team. Like, but not nearly as good as, Magic and Worthy taking over for Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes. Horford and IT having the Kareem and Wilkes roles on the present day Celtics.