Al Horford Returns To Atlanta, Beats Former Team As Boston Celtics Roll
It’s always interesting when a star player returns to the city that he used to call home. There is a mixture of boos from fans still bitter that their beloved player left, and cheers from fans that applaud the energy and effort that that player put forth for his former team. For the player, it’s also a bittersweet moment. However, for Power Forward/Center Al Horford and the Boston Celtics, his return to Atlanta was made sweeter with a win against his former team.
Al Horford had a decent showing in his return to Philips Arena, putting up 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in the Boston Celtics’ 103-101 victory. Even with a victory in his return, Al Horford wasn’t expecting all of the boos he received, according to NBA, however, he seems to have made his peace with it, and moved on with his current team. “They weren’t expected, but it is what it is,” Horford said.
“I know there’s a lot of fans out there that appreciated my time here, and I appreciate them.”
Al Horford’s teammate, Point Guard Isaiah Thomas, wasn’t quite as accepting of the treatment Horford received.
“You don’t boo a guy like that,” Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas said after scoring 28 points. “You’re not turning down money like that. None of them people that are booing are turning down that money, so he went to a situation he thought may be a little better.”
“Like I said, a guy like that, with that type of character, you can’t boo him. That’s disrespectful.”
Isaiah Thomas certainly has a point. Al Horford signed an incredibly lucrative contract with the Boston Celtics worth $113 million over the summer. But, beyond just the financial incentive, Al Horford is now a member of a Boston Celtics team that’s on the upswing. In the years since the Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen “Big 3” era, Boston has been stockpiling and developing a plethora of young talent that they can either continue to develop, or put together as part of a package deal to bring even more big names to Beantown.
As things currently stand, the Boston Celtics occupy the 3rd slot in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 25-15 at the time of this writing (trailing only the Toronto Raptors and defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers). While NBA trade rumors have named DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, and Paul George as potential trade targets for the Celtics, even if they don’t make any big moves, and even if they don’t acquire a franchise player, the Celtics have the incredible talent of Isaiah Thomas running the floor, along with Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, rookie Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford filling up the middle.
The one word that comes to mind when describing the Boston Celtics this season, is flexible. Whether they continue to develop the current roster they have, or use those assets as part of a deal to bring in more talent, they have a lot of flexibility in terms of what they can do moving forward.
So, while Al Horford’s homecoming wasn’t quite the warm welcome he was hoping for, with the Boston Celtics, he has the opportunity to go further in this year’s playoffs than he did recently as a member of Atlanta. Prior to signing with the Celtics, the Hawks were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in each of the last two years. While the Hawks did manage to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals once during Horford’s nine-year tenure with the team, they never reached the NBA Finals.
Although the Boston Celtics certainly have a tough road ahead, particularly due to the fact that they will have to get past the likes of the Toronto Raptors and/or Cleveland Cavaliers if they want to make a deep playoff run this year, with Al Horford in tow (along with the assets they have as the NBA trade deadline approaches), the Boston Celtics are well-equipped to do just that.
ICYMI: @Isaiah_Thomas hit a huge shot with 2.4 seconds left and the C's beat the Hawks 103-101 in ATL. RT to make IT an All-Star! #NBAVote pic.twitter.com/cLu7OpHdTr
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 14, 2017
[Featured Image by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images]
