Al Horford

There is an interesting story on the Celtics Blog about Al and what could have been.  I wonder sometimes if he
has regrets, although $109 Million can cure alot of ailments

Rosalie,

Corollary:  High Water Covers A Lot Of Stumps!!

When NBA athletes are asked, "Do you want to be wealthy or do you want a championship?"  The smarts ones will answer, "Well, BOTH!"  Knowing the odds are not in their favor to have both, but the answer's always no if you don't ask or go for both.  Just ask Charles Barkley, etc.  

Al probably answered the same.  He chose to be wealthy.  If he's smart, he's locked up his family for generations.  

db

I have no complaints with Horford leaving the Cs.. He got the money he wanted and we were rid of his overpriced talents.

He is already in decline, and would have been a huge drain on the Cs salary cap issues both this year and in future years.

Rosalie,

Here it is:

Al Horford and what could have been

https://www.celticsblog.com/2020/8/17/21371638/al-horford-what-could-have-been-boston-celtics-philadelphia-76ers-playoffs-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown

By wjsy@deliberatepix Aug 17, 2020, 12:08pm EDT

These NBA Playoffs have a cruel sense of humor. The matchups in the quarterfinals seem fated by the basketball gods, or at least scripted by reality show producers. Jimmy Butler vs. T.J. Warren. James Harden, Chris Paul, and (eventually) Russell Westbrook against their former teams. And for the Celtics and 76ers, this first round series is the Al Horford Bowl.

It would be one thing had it been a messy divorce. The 2018-19 campaign might have been an utter disaster/disappointment/failure, but there were really no indications that Horford had plans of leaving and not picking up his $30.1 million player option. You can’t blame him though. For Horford, he figured that fortune would favor the bold.

After a roster overhaul exorcised Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris, and Aron Baynes from Boston, the writing was on the wall. Danny Ainge was bringing in a big rookie class and the youth movement was seemingly in full effect. Philadelphia was the only contender that could bring Horford into the fold AND pay him. In an interview with The Herald’s Steve Bulpett, he talked about prioritizing winning a championship and how Irving leaving signaled a course change for the Celtics. His “window is now” and Philadelphia made the most sense.

Well, and Boston as time would tell.

Several words can describe Horford’s career. Consistent. Reliable. Solid. His resume includes successful stints in Atlanta and Boston as not necessarily the sexy face--those eyes though!--of the franchise, but more its backbone. In his three years as a Celtic, he gladly took second billing to Irving and Isaiah Thomas, but to more discerning fans, he was considered the piece that made it all work.

Had he re-signed, it would have signaled a further commitment to what he and Brad and Danny were building in Boston. Remember: he was the first big free agent to take a chance on Stevens’ vision. He played a key part in recruiting Kevin Durant. It’s not hyperbolic to suggest that despite his place on the marquee, this was Horford’s team. He had shaped his game to fit the modern NBA and Stevens plugged him in as the prototypical big in his offensive and defensive schemes. Horford became the hub of The Hub, the quarterback and middle linebacker for the Celtics.

We can daydream what this version of Boston would have looked like with #42. He’d cement a front court that’s solid now, but not exactly rock solid. He’d be flanked by two young superstars in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (not to mention closer contemporaries in Walker and Gordon Hayward) that would have extended his window of contention and made his job easier as he approached the twilight of his career. At 34, he’d reach an elder statesman status with the franchise that would have most likely vaulted him to the rafters had Banner 18 gone up before his retirement.

Horford’s decision brings up some existential questions. Disregard the monster contract that will likely be his last triple-digit deal of his career even though $109 million is impossible to disregard. Maybe it’s a media construct of sorts, but I wonder if his legacy ever crossed his mind. There are sports cities that revere their stars. Boston is one of them and he would have retired as a legend in New England.

There’s some conjecture as to whether or not a deal could have been made to bring Big Al back. He’s hinted that knowing that Kemba Walker was coming would have made a difference, but he had already made a verbal commitment to Philadelphia. Ainge made some 11th hour moves and machinations, but alas, Big Al is a 76er. His first year has had its ups and downs. Brett Brown struggled to make things fit and before Ben Simmons was lost for the rest of the year, Horford was coming off the bench, a role he might be suited for considering the roster construction, but probably a place in the pecking order he didn’t expect.

Today, we are enemies, but not ones born on South Street or at North Station. Including his name to a rivalry rich with folklore of Russell and Chamberlain or Bird and Erving doesn’t feel right. Horford was one of us once. This is an unrequited relationship of two ex-lovers, a wound salted by both nostalgia and regret. It doesn’t have the knife edge of Ray Allen’s departure to Miami. I’m sure Marcus Smart holds no ill will to Horford. Their relationship seems warm and playful. However, I’d imagine that there are times that a stab in the back hurts less than the sting of what could have been. It’s the job you didn’t take or a girl you didn’t see about. Win or lose, this will be a bittersweet series to watch because there will always be that thought in the back of our minds of how things could have been different.

We discussed big al on our zoom yesterday.  I believe that I referred to him as a mercenary.  I am not mad that he left.  I think there were 2 reasons. #1 was money (way overpaid again) and #2 He never really liked playing center against big strong guys.  But now he is tasked with checking new age PF that can and will light his ass up.

Management really shot themselves in the temple when they picked up Horfords huge contract - and at the same time let the arch rival Celts of the hook. What a blunder - Over his last 6 years he has averaged 13.9 points and 7.0 rebounds - and it figures to get worst for Philly as the 34 year old figures to offer even less value over the next few years. Just might be time for Philly to start thinking about rebuilding again. The Philly fans should be livid. As Churchill would have said--- never in the history of basketball has any 34 year old man been paid so much, for so long, while offering so little to the teams sucess.

swish

Marcus Morris played way better than Al tonight.

Al was/is on the down slope of his career arc. He was probably over-valued amongst press and fans due to his history, professionalism, and all around good-guy'ness. Danny definitely saw it, and there was no way he was going to sign him for significant money. Al might have had a little better year this had he stayed with the Celtics, but he is not even close to the Al he once was. I am glad he was able to cash in. Someone said in post above he "secured his family for generations". It's easy for fans to say he should pursue the ring, but really the correct choice is to do what you can for family (although I think Al thought he was also pursuing the ring by signing with the 76ers).

Although I wanted the Celtics to kick the asses of the 76er's last night, it was rather sad to see, in the last 2 minutes of a game that could have gone haywire for us, Al sitting on the bench. He is an afterthought in Brett Brown's offense. They hardly run plays for him, and half of his points are accidental offense. I am not angry at Al, I almost feel sorry for him But, we all make decisions in life and he will have to live with his. I guess the consolation is that he has a $109 million contrat to soften the fall he is going, or is having, in his career. With the cap the way it will be next year, his is a contract no one will want to take on. He is stuck right there and has to live with it

swish wrote:Management really shot themselves in the temple when they picked up Horfords huge contract - and at the same time let the arch rival Celts of the hook. What a blunder - Over his last 6 years he has averaged 13.9 points and 7.0 rebounds - and it figures to get worst for Philly as the 34 year old figures to offer even less value over the next few years. Just might be time for Philly to start thinking about rebuilding again. The Philly fans should be livid. As Churchill would have said--- never in the history of basketball has any 34 year old man been paid so much, for so long, while offering so little to the teams sucess.

  swish

Swish that part about Churchill is pretty funny!

Dboss, the little guy is getting so big! He looks like a happy kid!

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Dboss, the little guy is getting so big! He looks like a happy kid!

Rosalie

I am blown away by how fast he is growing. Last night my son did a video call and we saw the baby. He never took his eyes off of us.

I love it, there is such joy there dboss, enjoy what ever you can you have a wonderful family!!!!

dboss wrote:

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Dboss, the little guy is getting so big! He looks like a happy kid!

Rosalie

I am blown away by how fast he is growing.  Last night my son did a video call and we saw the baby.  He never took his eyes off of us.  

Hi dboss and Rosalie , God bless that little guy, he is beautiful.

international wrote:

dboss wrote:

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Dboss, the little guy is getting so big! He looks like a happy kid!

Rosalie

I am blown away by how fast he is growing.  Last night my son did a video call and we saw the baby.  He never took his eyes off of us.  

Hi dboss and Rosalie , God bless that little guy, he is beautiful.

I appreciate your kind thoughts.

Sixer fan on game 3

"If We Try To Trade Al
We need to make sure the tape of this series is burned. Any GM who watches 5 minutes of Al stumbling around like some guy Brand picked up in the Home Depot parking lot at 2 am will demand 5 first rounders to take on his monstrosity of a contract.

Al is barely playable anymore. And he had a 4 month break because of Coronavirus. This is 34 year old Al when he is fresh. What’s a tired 37 year old Al going to look like?"

Sad, but lucky for us he is gone. I'd say that 85% of Al's current ineptitude is psychological, and Philly is to blame for that. But as they say, "Not my circus. Not my problem.."

dboss wrote:Sixer fan on game 3

"If We Try To Trade Al
We need to make sure the tape of this series is burned. Any GM who watches 5 minutes of Al stumbling around like some guy Brand picked up in the Home Depot parking lot at 2 am will demand 5 first rounders to take on his monstrosity of a contract.

Al is barely playable anymore. And he had a 4 month break because of Coronavirus. This is 34 year old Al when he is fresh. What’s a tired 37 year old Al going to look like?"

Hey his agent did a great job selling his versatility as a glue guy that can defend and stretch the floor and got him a ridiculous 109 mill contract. I do not feel sorry for him or that franchise, they came up with the process and picked 2 bonafide top picks with injury issues, then added more pieces that did not fit and now have little value. Al will be bought out by his 3rd year, collect his money and I really don’t see any other team wanting/needing him. Tobias Harris plays hard, but right now Romeo has hit more 3’s than him and he’s on a max contract too. They will be a perennial team that gets bounced out in the first round as Embid and Simmons IF they can stay healthy will still get them a 6-8th seed.

Al is a SB center.  The 4 position has changed dramatically.  More wings with length and guard skills.  AL connect defend them.  

We dodged a bullet and they shot themselves.  I expect a game 4 sweep and a blowout.  Al cannot go hard B2B with a day of rest.

Trades are coming for that team and they will probably mess that up too.  Not sure why they did not keep Butler and just add some 12 MPG bu vet center.

I almost wrote the other day,that Philly should have kept Butler and let Harris walk in the off-season.

But Butler pushed Embiid and Simmons too hard it seemed and needed to go.


Like him or not Butler is one tough NBA player who wants to win. Someting this Philly team seems short on.

kdp59 wrote:I almost  wrote  the other day, that Philly should have kept Butler and let Harris walk in the off-season.

But Butler pushed Embiid and Simmons too hard it seemed and needed to go.


Like him or not Butler is one tough NBA player who wants to win. Someting this Philly team seems short on.

I think you are on to something. Butler saw the lack-a-wanna. Embiid and Simmons just don't have the drive to go all game, all season, all in.