For Golden State Warriors, Al Horford is the ‘hub of the wheel’ for the Boston Celtics

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/01/for-golden-state-warriors-al-horford-is-the-hub-of-the-wheel-for-the-boston-celtics.html



For Golden State Warriors, Al Horford is the ‘hub of the wheel’ for the Boston Celtics




Updated 11:24 AM;
Posted 11:24 AM



By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com




The Golden State Warriors are rolling into Boston having won nine straight and 11 of their last 12.

“They look like they’re playing at an elite level right now,” Brad Stevens said of them at practice on Friday. “I don’t know that I’ve seen them play better during the regular season stretch since maybe the year they won 73.”

They seemed to have no challenger in the league that year, but Kyrie Irving’s heroics for the Cleveland Cavaliers put an end to their dreams of the most historic run in NBA history. As they reach another level this season, it’s Kyrie’s Celtics that Golden State perceives as one of its biggest threats to another title.

Irving is the engine of the Celtics. There is no doubt that without him, Boston’s chances dwindle quite a bit. However, for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Al Horford is Boston’s key ingredient.


“He’s a great player,” Kerr told the media at the team’s morning shoot-around. “We know great Kyrie is, one of the very best in the game, but Al to me is the hub of the wheel, things just revolve around him.”

It’s no secret Horford can help super-charge Kyrie’s abilities. Irving is a premier isolation scorer, “one of the best guys in the world” at it according to Brad Stevens, but Horford’s ability to create additional space for Kyrie makes Irving all the more dangerous. To complicate matters for opponents, Horford an pick a defense apart if he sees too many eyes focused on him. The Celtics are 52-17 in the Horford era when he gets six or more assists.

“He’s a perfect modern day center,” Kerr said. “He can protect the rim, he can run dribble hand-offs and step out to the 3 point line ,and can put the ball on the floor. He’s a really good passer, so that means you have to guard the entire floor and there’s nobody to cheat off of.”


“He can shoot threes now, and he’s bringing the ball up and making plays,” said Kevin Durant. “So we have to be aware of him out on the perimeter.”




The return of DeMarcus Cousins presents a big challenge for both the Celtics and the Warriors. Cousins has played three games for Golden State in his return from an achilles injury, and he’s made an instant impact. He’s averaging 13 points in those games, hitting four of the seven 3-pointers he’s taken. He’s a tough defensive matchup for a Boston team focused on preventing the Warriors from getting to the rim. He’s also a potential liability.

“He’s a big boy down there,” Terry Rozier said earlier this week. “I’m pretty sure Al is ready for the challenge, but he got to guard Al too. Al stretches the floor so it’s going to be a great matchup.”

Cousins' lateral quickness will be tested if he’s attacked in the pick-and-roll. The Warriors may have to find other ways to combat what Horford brings to this matchup, making this particular game a bit different for a Warriors team marching through its schedule.


“I think a lot of teams are playing small, using a lot of length, and shooting a lot of threes,” Durant said. “So we faced similar kind of rosters, but as far as skill level, I don’t think we’ve faced anybody as skilled as this team.”



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