Al Horford’s two-way brilliance in the 2022 NBA Playoffs

The defensive versatility of Al Horford is key to the variety of effective defensive schemes available to Boston.

The beauty in Al Horford’s skillset will always be attributed to his versatility. The word ‘versatility’ is thrown around a lot in the NBA. In the world of basketball, the word ‘versatile’ is used in a complimentary sense, often used to describe players adept at guarding multiple positions.

Adaptable defenders tend to exhibit all the necessary physical traits to lock up a variety of opponents – height, long arms, lateral quickness, and strength, to name a few. Even at the ripe age of 35, Horford is still equipped with the aforementioned physical traits.

However, while the athletic components are essential, Horford’s defensive technique is what makes him special as a defender. When switched onto ball handlers, Horford immediately widens his stance, knees bent, with his rangy 7’1 wingspan stretched to its full extent.

When you couple his physical aspects with his defensive acumen, it’s no surprise the Celtics are holding opponents to 88.2 points in the half court per 100 possessions with Horford anchoring the defense (Per Cleaning the Glass).

The true test of a big’s diversity on defense is when they are switched onto the perimeter to guard opposing wings. Horford has been tasked with guarding each of Milwaukee’s best players in the Celtics’ conference semifinals matchup with the Bucks.

Per NBA.com, Horford has contested a total of 109 field goal attempts between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, in which the duo has converted just 43 tries, shooting a combined 39.4% from the floor when matched with the Celtics center.

While Horford has plenty of support from his defensively-talented running mates, his defensive performance these playoffs has been nothing short of stellar.

Entering a do-or-die Game 7 this Sunday, the Celtics are going to need every bit and more of the Al Horford we have seen this postseason.