How Al Horford’s Post Game Resurrected the Boston Celtics

BOSTON — Normally void of histrionics or a game that leans into palpable physicality, Al Horford has dominated these NBA playoffs in an uncharacteristically confrontational way. With no obvious primary scoring option by his side, Horford has—not entirely, but for lengthy stretches—swapped his trademark agility, guile, and passive brilliance for brute force and an everlasting flex.

You never got the sense at any point in his career that self-confidence was an issue, but for someone as selfless as he’s proven to be, Horford’s recent aggression has nudged him into unchartered territory. It’s remarkable, necessary, and never more on display than when he’s obliterating the opposition with his back to the basket.

Horford’s ability to pop behind the three-point line, drive closeouts, instantly diagnose a defensive mistake, and, generally, execute the “right play” as if it’s his religion, makes him a rare 6’10” offensive lynchpin. None of those traits have disappeared, but right now it’s his rugged, ridiculously effective post game that’s carrying the Boston Celtics.

“My mindset is just to be aggressive and try to go score,” Horford tells VICE Sports.

Even when switched onto a smaller/weaker defender—as has been the case quite often throughout this run—coaches have mostly instructed their help defenders to stay home on the three-point line and worry more about cutters than stifling one of the game’s least efficient offensive actions.

“People have really taken away his three and they’re switching him a lot, so they’re providing more opportunity to post,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens says. “It just depends on how he’s being guarded.”

Horford’s success has broken that cautious strategy and translated against his primary defender, too. According to Synergy Sports, Horford had already posted up five more times heading into the conference finals than all of last year’s playoffs. (That’s six fewer games and 180 fewer minutes.) In addition to the rising volume, his points per possession have leapt from 0.84 (the 42nd percentile) to 1.20 (the 90th percentile).

He’s been far and away the best post player in this postseason, extending a considerable gap between him and whoever’s next every time he steps on the floor. (On 21 fewer possessions, Horford has scored six more points out of the post than Joel Embiid did this postseason.)

Compared to the regular season, the percentage of Horford’s post-up possessions that end with him attempting a shot, drawing a foul, or committing a turnover has gone from 26.5 to 31 percent. When you include all plays where he passes to a spot-up shooter or cutter, the share of Horford’s post-ups that end with him taking matters into his own hands has risen from 75 to 83.8 percent.

“I think it just starts with play calls,” Horford says when asked why post-ups have become a larger part of his offense. “Last year we had Isaiah Thomas, great scorer. This year during the season, for the most part, we had Kyrie and we were running our offense in different ways. Now in the playoffs, I feel like coach has called my number more.”

Horford is shooting 66.7 percent on these possessions, which is over 22 percent higher than his field goal percentage during the regular season. Compare him to all players who’ve posted up at least 50 times over the last 10 years—regular and postseason—and Horford’s current accuracy nearly stands alone. The only player who tops him is 29-year-old LeBron James during his final playoff run with the Miami Heat. (ICYMI: LeBron is the best player of his generation—maybe ever—and can’t be stopped by any human being when he drops his shoulder into their chest.)

In addition to habitually making really difficult shots, Horford has maintained his efficiency by getting to the line more often than he ever has at any point in his career. His current free-throw rate is over double what it was during last year’s playoffs; higher than the sum of his two regular seasons in Boston.

“Before you make any [post] move you have to feel the floor out,” Horford says. “You have to see everything that’s around you and how teams are playing you. And then once you determine that, then you make a play, whether you’re gonna pass or score. Most of the time you’re thinking score, you’re being aggressive. Score. Go score.”

He was unstoppable in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks, routinely establishing deep position, exposing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s over-reliance on length and Thon Maker’s lack of lower body strength. It was primal, simplistic, old-school dominance. Horford barked for the ball, pointed out where entry passes need to come from, and burrowed into spots on the floor where he’s most comfortable.

“You know when he wants to go left shoulder but you still can’t stop it,” Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Ty Lue said before Sunday’s Game 1.

When Horford is at the five, surrounded by deadeye shooters, doubling him isn’t much of an option. Against the Philadelphia 76ers, Horford muscled through Ersan Ilyasova and Dario Saric, daring help defenders to sink in from the perimeter, all knowing the ball would more likely than not find their man for an open three if they weren’t careful. He took advantage of switches against Marco Belinelli, J.J. Redick, and Robert Covington, and attacked early in the clock, sometimes bringing the ball up the floor himself before backing all the way down against a discombobulated defense.

The total package has been on display: hooks over his left shoulder, sweeping runners across the lane, powerful drop steps, and slick baseline fallaways. When Horford sizes his man up, swings the ball across his body and eyes the basket, a small part of whoever’s guarding him knows he’s about to become a buffet line.

“It’s tough because when he gets the ball on the block he likes to be physical,” Lue said. “If you’re a bigger guy he likes to take you on the perimeter with his jab, jumper, jab, shot fake, and go, but when you have smaller guys he does a good job of banging, getting to his spot on the post ups…we’ve got to do a good job throwing different looks at him so he can’t get comfortable.”

Down the stretch of tight games, when their offense suddenly looks more efficient than just about any attack in NBA history, the Celtics like to open the floor and use Horford in high pick-and-roll. But Stevens has also turned to his most reliable player in the post during some tense moments.

Here’s a side out of bounds play that begins with Terry Rozier setting a cross screen on Saric that’s meant to force a switch and get T.J. McConnell on Horford’s back. That doesn’t work, but once Rozier clears McConnell out, Horford still sets Saric up a couple dribbles from the left block before hitting him with a vicious spin towards the baseline. This is the island of death.

(Notice how Joel Embiid is not on Horford—because he was either too slow or tired to defend a big that mobile on the perimeter—and instead was preoccupied by Marcus Morris, who holds his attention by pretending to set a pin down for Rozier. Also notice how Ben Simmons treats Marcus Smart like he’s Joe Ingles.)

Here’s another designed look from Stevens to get Horford going. Sixers head coach Brett Brown could be heard screaming for Simmons to dig, but the sophomore was understandably concerned with Jayson Tatum lingering along the three-point line.

Before the playoffs, Horford’s post-ups were a testament to the age old saying “patience is a virtue.” He’d size up his opponent and drip his way into a faux-aggressive approach, more concerned with hunting defenders slinking out of position on the weak side than getting his own shot up. It’d be unfair and inaccurate to call these actions a last resort—Horford is as calming a presence as any in the league—but having him function as a roll man or valuable facilitator at the elbow was more ideal in an offense that aspires to involve everyone.

Horford post-ups, in other words, were more often a secondary or tertiary option. That has not been the case in these playoffs. Right now they, along with the entire team’s terrific transition defense, have helped Boston play at the snail’s pace it prefers. The Celtics picks their spots to run, but knows when Horford is on the floor that a dependable post-up is always available.

“I think there’s a balance. At times we want to play faster, but there are times where we just need to slow it down, and that’s one of the strengths of our group,” Horford says. “For stability, at times, we’ve gone to the post a little more.”

From here on out, Horford’s post game should continue to play a role in Boston’s success. The Cavaliers start Kevin Love at center and may turn to lineups that pit LeBron at the five. They also switch a ton. It’s not always the most aesthetically pleasing option, but two points are two points.

Should the Celtics advance, matchups against the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are also prime for Horford to unleash himself on the block. Both defenses switch every screen, and even though they’re really good at doing it in smart ways, Horford’s ability to whip a cross-court pass to an open shooter on the opposite wing will make each team think twice about trapping or helping too far off all the different shooters on Boston’s roster. Horford’s rise has created an unanswerable dilemma.

If there’s one thing this past month has taught us about the Celtics, it’s that their current era, wherever it may take them, begins and ends with Horford. Two years ago, he bypassed a chance to play with established stars like John Wall, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden for the opportunity to anchor and elevate Stevens’s emerging modus operandi.

It was the right choice, and, in hindsight, an immensely critical one for Boston. Horford has been the organization’s compass ever since. Every nook and cranny in his game is treasured by teammates and coaches who deeply adore the infinite ways he simplifies their own daily responsibilities.

For so long, the narrative surrounding Horford has been handcuffed to his financial worth. He either barely justifies a max contract, is sort of overpaid, or is nothing more than a cap-sheet sinkhole (according to my Twitter mentions and Boston sports radio for approximately the last 18 months). But since the first round, the exact opposite view (aka the right one) has been validated: Horford is a priceless commodity worth even more than the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement allows any one team to pay any one player.

Aware that it wouldn’t be a featured section of Boston’s playbook this season, the five-time All-Star spent a good portion of his offseason workouts in the post, working on moves that may never see the light of day in a meaningful situation. He was prepared for this.

“I guess you could say I do feel more comfortable,” Horford says. “I just feel more confident when I have to go into the moves or the things that I need to do in the post.”

Now three wins away from a trip back to the NBA Finals, the Celtics somehow have yet another reason to be thankful that their most important player is who he is.