I suppose people are reacting to Horford the same as if they had been promised a car for Christmas and walked into the driveway expecting a Tesla, and what they see sitting there instead is a fully loaded Honda Accord.
An excellent, well-built, reliable car that can do most anything you want from a car, including driving fast and overtaking other cars on the highway. It's just not exactly a sports car or a high end luxury vehicle, and it won't turn any heads. It'll just do everything you need it to, and it'll do it really well (except transporting furniture, that is).
That may be the position of some, but not me. I knew exactly what Horford was and he is performing exactly like I expected him to perform. I just don't think his signing made sense for Boston as was constructed at the time he signed. If Boston had actually landed Durant, then you wouldn't see me in this thread (and other threads) complaining about Horford, because he is the exact type of player you want around Durant. But Boston didn't land Durant so I would have rather seen the Horford money used elsewhere on multiple players and with shorter contracts.
Again my question is, do you think the Celts have a better or worse chance of landing that big time free agent or trade target with Horford on board or not?
Do you think the Celts would be in a better position to sign or trade for the next big fish if they had divided that $25-30 million a year between 3 lesser players?
First one would depend on what Boston did with the money, how Boston performed, etc. For example, if Boston spent no long term dollars and could sign 2 max free agents this summer (like last summer) then that might make it easier to attract players who may want to play together (say Gordon Hayward and Blake Griffin want to play together for example).
Second one, trading for a player is easier when you have more options to trade and have a deeper team remaining. As for signing a free agent with 3 lesser players instead of Horford, again that would depend on the players and what the team does. What if the current team continues to plod along and loses in the 1st round, but a team with Biyombo, Henderson, and Speights wins 55 games and makes the ECF? Which team would a max free agent rather play on the team that regressed even though it had bigger names or the team in the ECF?
And the thing about Al Horford is he isn't exactly a guy that everyone is clamoring to play with. He is a mid-tier "star" at best. Same as Thomas. It isn't like Boston signed Kevin Durant. Horford is a very good player, but he isn't a difference maker and he is old. Other players know this and his contract makes it very difficult for Boston to do multiple major moves.
