There were concerns about how much good basketball Al Horford had left in him when he was traded to the Celtics for his second tenure with the team. In the midst of a youth movement, he didn’t play much for the Thunder, thus a starting berth wasn’t definitely certain. Prior to the 2021–22 season, Horford publicly stated that he believed he was still a starter in the league.
This Celtics team faces unique challenges because of their extensive use of depth. The top six players for Boston are arguably the best in the NBA, but one of them must sit on the bench. Horford is aware of this, thus there isn’t any pushback regarding starting or not from anyone.
“We have a lot of depth; we have a lot of talented players,” Horford said. “One of our strengths is our versatility as a team. So there’s going to be times that we’re going to have to go a certain way. There’s other times that we got to play big, play small, things like that. That’s just the way it is.”
Horford came off the bench in the Celtics’ preseason win over the Knicks earlier this week. When he did see the court, the 37-year-old looked spry, whether it was affecting the game or pushing the pace. Horford said there isn’t much difference in preparation as he’s bound to see consistent minutes when he is suited up for games
The Celtics have also talked at length about sacrifice this season, whether that’s Horford or anyone else. Since they have so much talent, counting stats will dip for some players. C’s coach Joe Mazzulla has also resisted to getting too into the weeds when it comes to starting vs. coming off the bench, saying sacrifice will be a big theme for the team throughout the year. But Horford’s willingness to change roles can also be a signal to the rest of the team.
“If Al can come off the bench at this stage of his career, nobody should have anything to say if you’re the guy that’s coming off the bench or Joe takes you out of the game or if you don’t finish,” Jayson Tatum said. “And everybody has to have a team-first mindset to accomplish what we’re trying to do.”
While fans and pundits will focus on the starting lineup, the C’s also pointed out it’s important who finishes games. On the other hand, the regular season is long, so there are bound to be nights where the Celtics aren’t at full strength. That means other players will see the starting lineup regardless.
