In the 2020 playoffs, the Sixers faced the Celtics in the first round. Horford only scored 28 points in four games without any three-pointers. He was also confused defensively by his opponents. .
"He was responsible for guarding Jaylen Brown in that round, which was too difficult for him." Brad Stevens said. Then, in order to get rid of Horford's three-year contract worth more than 60 million, the Sixers traded him and a first-round pick to the Thunder for Danny Green in that year's draft.
The rebuilding of the Thunder was a critical moment for Horford's career.
Horford's new opportunity after lost season
The Thunder general manager valued the first-round pick more in the Horford trade. Although Horford still averaged 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season, and had a 36% three-point shooting percentage, the two sides still reached a consensus in March. Let him shut down and end the season.
At that time, Horford was already a 34-year-old veteran center, and with a 40 million contract for the next two years, it was very likely that he would become a Ronin or a player in the later rotation.
At the same time, the Celtics were not very happy, with only a record of 36 wins and 36 losses. They were defeated by the Nets in the first round of the playoffs and were eliminated. During the off-season, general manager Danny Ainge resigned, and Brad Stevens, who had served as head coach for eight years, became the new general manager. Two weeks after taking office, Stevens completed his first trade, sending Kemba Walker and a first-round pick to the Thunder for Horford.
"Al played very well in the Thunder. He didn't fit in with the team in the Sixers, rather than a problem of declining ability and mobility." Stevens said, "He is my favorite player."
This deal is an opportunity for Horford to be reborn.
"When I got the call from Brad, I was really, really excited," Horford said. "I was taking my family to Atlanta to see my mom, and I was driving home when I got the call and we all called out. It was very exciting. A happy moment because that's where I want to be and where I want to be."
Horford's irreplaceable sense of stability
The Celtics made it to the championship game for the first time in 12 years. Everyone was very excited, especially happy for Horford.
"There's no one more worthy of a championship than the guy to my right," Brown said. "His energy and attitude and the sense of being a professional player, including being a leader, I'm very proud to have Al with this senior player, even a mentor and a brother. Horford shares this moment together."
"Al doesn't care about statistics," Marcus Smart said, "but he cares about winning and the team, and his return gives us a sense of stability."
Although Horford and Embiid failed to get along, they had excellent chemistry with the Celtics and Robert Williams III. When they play together, they can build the strongest defense in the NBA. According to ESPN data, the team's defensive efficiency value when they play together is 99.9, which is the highest among the duo who played 400 minutes.
Horford's passing also began to amplify the team's offense as the season progressed. In the last 35 games of the regular season, the team's offensive efficiency was the highest in the NBA at 120.2. "He has been very energetic since the beginning of the training camp, both physically and enthusiastically. He is also the stabilizing force that the team most desires," Udoka said.
Horford was quite stable from the regular season to the playoffs. In the playoffs, he averaged 12 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 blocks. He averaged 4.3 three-point shots and had a 48% shooting percentage. The outbreak of several key battles helped the Celtics a lot, including scoring 30 points in the fourth game of the Eastern Conference Championship, helping the Celtics regain the home court advantage from the Bucks; he also scored 26 points in the first game of the championship game. points and 6 three-pointers.
"He's the best teammate I've ever had. He helped me a lot when I was a rookie, and now he's exactly the same as he was then, unafraid of taking the hardest assignments and sacrificing the ball," Tatum said. "I feel like I've been playing for a long time. It’s only been 5 years since I crossed this threshold, but he worked for 15 years to get here, and I’m really touched to be able to get to this point with him.”
For Donovan, it is no surprise that everyone has unanimous praise for him. "You never, never question his competitiveness. Some players will want to strive for personal performance and contracts first before they start to care about winning. He has never cared about winning. It’s all about winning and losing from the beginning.”
After going around in circles for three years, Horford persisted in standing upright amidst various doubts. "It was very difficult for me some time ago, but my attitude was to work humbly and wait for my time to come." Horford said, "I know, that's it. Now."
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