In equity to Al Horford, the writing was in all probability on the wall for his time in Boston.
But it surely was nonetheless painful to see the veteran large man spell out why he determined to maneuver on from the Celtics and sign with the Golden State Warriors in free agency.
“I believe that the place Boston was as a group, although I known as them my dwelling and the whole lot was there for me, they only weren’t ready to supply me the chance that I wished,” Horford told The Athletic’s Nick Friedell.
Horford cited two particular areas the place the Celtics fell quick: financially and competitively. And in his view, Jayson Tatum’s devastating Achilles injury in Could modified the whole lot, reworking the C’s from a respectable contender that will want minor offseason tinkering to a group extra centered on getting beneath the second apron of the luxurious tax forward of the 2026-27 season.
“I believe the monetary half was a element, however greater than that, it was the profitable a part of it, attempting to contend for a championship,” Horford instructed Friedell. “And I believe there was a number of issues up within the air — and it simply felt like they weren’t in the identical, that very same imaginative and prescient, clearly, as a result of JT getting damage, that takes a giant toll.
“So I believe at that time I actually needed to — up till then I used to be staying in Boston the entire time.”
That is a good take from Horford, who admitted the Celtics’ early-offseason trades of Jrue Vacation and Kristaps Porzingis made it “clear” to him that Boston “had totally different priorities.” Even if Tatum supercharges his rehab, a C’s group with out Vacation, Porzingis and Luke Kornet in all probability is not within the NBA championship dialog.
However here is the place the motivation issue is available in: In his quest to earn yet another ring, Horford selected … the Warriors. Whereas any group with Stephen Curry, Draymond Inexperienced and Jimmy Butler should not be written off, Golden State has the NBA’s second-oldest roster (common age: 29) and presently has the 10th-best championship odds (+2200) on ESPN Bet.
The Celtics? They’re twelfth, with +3000 odds.
So, if a Boston group that is already being written off with out Tatum wants one more reason to overachieve, why not goal for being higher than the Warriors?
Golden State is the higher group on paper, however any accidents on a veteran-laden roster might ship its season south in a rush. The Celtics, in the meantime, can nonetheless roll out a beginning 5 of gamers who had been on the 2024 title group — Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta — and introduced in energetic function gamers with chips on their shoulders akin to Josh Minott, Luka Garza and Chris Boucher.
Horford is entitled to his choice, and he’ll always hold a special place in Celtics history for what he contributed over seven whole seasons in Boston. However now that he is in Golden State, the Celtics ought to do the whole lot of their energy to show the beloved large man improper.
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