The Boston Celtics showed zero signs of rust as they returned from the NBA All-Star Break with a 124-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. The victory improved the Celtics’ record to 40-16 on the year, putting them in a good spot to make a successful NBA Championship defense this postseason.
While some of the Celtics’ best players have stepped up to help them reach this point, that hasn’t been the case for everyone. In fact, it can be argued that one Boston veteran has been robbing the franchise blind with his abysmal 2024-25 performance.
The team-robbing veteran in question is none other than Al Horford. Although the five-time NBA All-Star has played a big role in most of the success the Celtics have seen in the last decade, there’s no denying how his current performance isn’t matching the $9.5 million salary he’s earning this season.
Horford’s numbers have been declining throughout the last few seasons, and the 2024-25 campaign isn’t an exception. Through 44 appearances (29 starts) so far, the former Florida Gator is averaging 8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting an abysmal 40.8% from the field and 35.9% from deep.
While Horford still has solid defensive moments, his offensive play has dropped off a cliff. Not only is he on track for the third-fewest offensive win shares in his career, but he’s also posting his first negative offensive box plus/minus since his rookie campaign.
That’s without mentioning how he has more appearances with nine or fewer points (29) than he has double-digit efforts (15).
Turning things around is also paramount to Horford’s playing future. He’s set to hit free agency in the offseason, meaning he must prove that he still has juice in the tank if he wants another NBA contract — whether that’s from the Celtics or another franchise.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Horford can step things up down the stretch. While there’s no questioning his locker room leadership, he needs to improve his on-court performance if the Celtics are to become the first team in nearly a decade to win back-to-back titles.
The good news for the Celtics is that Horford’s underwhelming performance isn’t hurting their championship outlook. After all, they’re currently FanDuel Sportsbook’s odds-on favorite to win the 2024-25 NBA Finals (+175) following the All-Star Break.
