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Boston Celtics: Al Horford Will Make Isaiah Thomas Even Better

By Matthew Hallett

Jul 8, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Newly signed Boston Celtic forward Al Horford with his son Ean prior to throwing out the first pitch in a game between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 8, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Newly signed Boston Celtic forward Al Horford with his son Ean prior to throwing out the first pitch in a game between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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After an uninspiring draft night, Danny Ainge made a move that changed the direction of Boston Celtics basketball for the better when he signed Al Horford.

The Boston Celtics were like Cinderella this offseason. They looked absolutely brilliant going into draft night, owning a total of eight picks.

They went home with a bevy of good players, not great ones. This has been the story of the Celtics these last few years, good, but not great. Then they met their Prince Charming, a man named Al Horford.

Since the breaking up of the Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo combination, Boston has lacked star power.

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Isaiah Thomas has developed into an All-Star and Jae Crowder is a good player. The next step from playoffs to contender was to add a star back into the Celtics’ roster. For me, it had to be a frontcourt star. Amir Johnson and Jared Sullinger are solid players, but one of the two Boston frontcourt spots needed to have game-changing ability.

Enter Al Horford, an incredibly skilled player who is difficult to match up on. Horford has replaced Sullinger on the roster and this makes nothing but sense for Boston.

Last season, Sullinger averaged 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists. 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 23.6 minutes per game, which was solid. But he had a slash line of .435/.282/.640, which is not inspiring at all.

Compare this to Horford, who averaged 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.8 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. His slash line was .505/.344/.798. I know which numbers I’d rather have in my team.

However, for me it is not just the numbers that make Horford a better fit for the Celtics. It is his style of play. Sullinger is a good player, not a great one. Horford is a great player and here is how he is going to help make Isaiah Thomas even better.

Shooting

Horford has a tremendous stroke, especially for a big man. His percentage from the field has only ever been under 50 percent once in his career. This was in 2007-08, his rookie year and his shooting percentage was 49.9 percent.

Admittedly, last season Horford only shot at 50.5 percent from the field, which is lower than his 53.5 percent career number. I am not concerned by this, however, since Horford took 3.1 shots per game from outside three-point last season, hitting 1.1 per game for a percentage of 34.4 percent.

His two-point field goal percentage (55.7 percent) was actually higher than his career number (54.5 percent).

Before last season, Horford had not taken more than 0.5 shots per game from beyond the three-point line.

This is a good sign, as opposing centers cannot leave him open, creating more space for Thomas to work on offense. With an accuracy of 34 percent from beyond the arc, Horford shot with the same consistency as DeMar DeRozan, Carmelo Anthony and Jamal Crawford.

As Horford drags other centers out to guard him, Thomas will be able to drive into a less crowded key. He also will be able to find better passing lanes to his open teammates. Boston plays their best as a team when Thomas is both shooting and passing, and Horford will help with this.

Passing

As far a centers go, Al Horford has a nice soft touch when passing. His 3.2 assists per game last season was a good number. Opposing defenders do not know what Horford is going to do. His passes are usually to teammates who are in better positions than he is.

Thomas will be able to use this to his advantage with his speed.  Horford is much more likely to find the open man than Sullinger, especially as his range opens up more passing lanes.

Rim Protection

While rim protection is not the strong suit of Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford will certainly help. His 1.5 blocks per game is a whole block more than Sulinger’s 0.6 blocks per game. However, it is not always the numbers that tell the story.

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Horford is an underrated defender in the league, but beyond that, his shot blocking will have an impact. With a greater shot-blocking presence on defense, this will result in greater opportunities in broken play offense and fast breaks. Once again, this is where the speed of Thomas will make a difference.

Pressure

There are a number of aspects that can be related to pressure. Horford will take some of the offensive load off Thomas. When Thomas’ shot is not falling, there is another good scorer on the team to ease the load in Horford.

Where Horford takes the most pressure off Thomas is that he is already a four-time All-Star. Now the media and fans can stop wondering if Thomas is good enough and focus on the player who is already a star.

If Thomas responds the way that I hope he will, Boston will be a team to be reckoned with next year. The hope is that Thomas and Horford cultivate a good relationship on the court, with the two stars co-existing.

Horford has already shown us that he can do it with the Atlanta Hawks, when he, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague were all selected to the East All-Star team in the same year.

Next: 2016 NBA Offseason Grades For All 30 Teams

Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford will help make you a better player, so enjoy it while you have him.

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