Basketball, within the confines of a game, is finite. What I mean by that is that there are only so many possessions you can have. So if one player ascends to stardom and starts taking up a lot of possessions, naturally there will be a cost on the other players. Such is the case with Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford.
After the Celtics lost to the Raptors last week, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe wrote the following:
What was even more demoralizing was the performance or inactivity of maximum-contract power forward Al Horford, who attempted five field goals in 30 minutes and finished with 8 points and five rebounds. On a night when the Raptors were squeezing Isaiah Thomas like a lemon, sending three defenders at him or inviting him to penetrate only to be gobbled up by two big men, Horford was rather passive.
So it’s about time the offense begins to feature him as defenses continue to blitz Thomas, who was 6-for-17 shooting and 1-for-6 with just 4 points in the fourth period.
Horford took one shot in the final period, making a short jumper, but pulling down no rebounds. Horford is a flow player, meaning he won’t put his imprint on the game unless his teammates get him involved. He needs to get involved in games earlier, get some easy buckets and make defenses shift, thus opening opportunities for Thomas
“Definitely, we’ve got to [get Horford more involved] and that’s my job,” Thomas said. “I’ll do a better job of getting him the ball Sunday [against Detroit] and making sure he’s in the flow of the game and not just defensively, but offensively as well.
“We’ve got to get him the ball. He’s a key factor what we do and our success.”
When asked if he needs more than five shot attempts, Horford said, “I think so. I think the way they were playing us, they definitely made it hard for me to get any looks. But yeah, there’s no question.”
Source: Gary Washburn: How Al Horford has lost his place in the Celtics offense.
Horford’s usage is only slightly down this season, at 20.3 percent of possessions used from 20.6. But interestingly, the gap is much larger when he shares the floor with Thomas.
| Al Horford | With Thomas on-court | With Thomas off |
|---|---|---|
Field goal attempts per 100 plays | 16.5 | 19.2 |
Field goal percentage | 45.3 | 44.8 |
Usage | 19.7 | 23.2 |
This isn’t some indictment of Thomas. Of course he’s going to have the ball most of the time; he’s a top-flight offensive player. That’s not the issue. There are two problems. Horford tends to fade into the background with Thomas on the floor, and he isn’t really equipped to carry the load.
Horford has always been a do-it-all player. He can defend, pass, hit shots. His versatility is vital in today’s game, and he’s made the Celtics better. But he’s also just 13 of 37 in clutch time situations, per NBA.com. He’s not a go-to weapon, which is something Boston may need down the stretch.
(You know, like one maybe they should have traded for.)
Really, this is a story about expectations. When the Celtics landed Horford, there was talk of him being a double-double machine, but that’s not really what he is. Horford’s a software upgrade that increases efficiency across the board. But he doesn’t increase production by significant amounts.
Maybe he can grow into a role he’s never really held. But with Thomas handling the ball so much, and that being such a pivotal part of the Celtics’ formula, it makes you wonder if Horford isn’t necessarily the answer to so much of their questions, but just a helpful piece of a larger solution.
