What is Horford's best position on a contending team?

[__ramonezy__]

OK, I'm a bit confused with regards to our front court and I believe the root of my confusion is around Horford's preferred/best starting position. Is he our starting 4 or 5?

I was almost certain that he didn't want to play the 4 which is why when Dwight came to ATL he was upset. Now I'm reading articles about him preferring to play 4 as opposed to the 5.

We had a clear gap at PF, but if Horford wanted that position wouldn't we have been in search for a reasonable starting C... there were a few available and are still available in FA.

[footey]

Forget 4 or 5. Such positions no longer exist.

Al plays the starting "big". He operates a lot from the top of the key, and directs the offense from their. He is a threat to hit the open 3 at any time. He forces the other team's center to come out to defend him. He is a terrific passer, which is a very important asset for our "bigs", inasmuch as the offense often runs threw them.

[PAOBoston]

He's your starting and closing big.

[CelticSince83]

Forget 4 or 5. Such positions no longer exist.

Al plays the starting "big". He operates a lot from the top of the key, and directs the offense from their. He is a threat to hit the open 3 at any time. He forces the other team's center to come out to defend him. He is a terrific passer, which is a very important asset for our "bigs", inasmuch as the offense often runs threw them.

They exist for all NBA, all star game, and 29 other teams.  Just because Brad Stevens makes a couple casual comments about positonless basketball doesn't mean there is no such thing as a point guard anymore.

[Big333223]

I've always heard that Horford preferred the 4, which is where he played in college, because he liked to create away from the rim. And it makes sense, he has perfect size for a traditional PF.

But in today's game, I think should mostly be a 5. Lucky for him, Brad Stevens is his coach and Horford can be the biggest guy on the floor but also create away from the rim and take jump shots.

[__ramonezy__]

Forget 4 or 5. Such positions no longer exist.

Al plays the starting "big". He operates a lot from the top of the key, and directs the offense from their. He is a threat to hit the open 3 at any time. He forces the other team's center to come out to defend him. He is a terrific passer, which is a very important asset for our "bigs", inasmuch as the offense often runs threw them.

These distinctions only go for the offensive side of the ball. I'm concerned about us lining up 6'6" 240lbs players at PF against the Kevin Love's, Porzingis', Aldridge's... and the list goes on and on... on defense. Calling someone a "big" doesn't actually make them big.

[chilidawg]

The question is do you play a second big along side him, or surround him with wing players?  And the answer is yes.

[ETNCeltics]

There won't be a "4" in a CBS lineup in the future.

Jayson Tatum - assuming he fills out the next couple years - is what CBS wants in a forward. If/when he gets the roster he wants, he's only going to put one Big on the floor. The NBA may shift back to the days of 2 big men on the floor for everyone, but it won't any time soon.

A lineup of something like IT, Brown, Hayward, Tatum, Horford is the kind of thing Ainge and CBS are working towards.

[CelticsElite]

Forget 4 or 5. Such positions no longer exist.

Al plays the starting "big". He operates a lot from the top of the key, and directs the offense from their. He is a threat to hit the open 3 at any time. He forces the other team's center to come out to defend him. He is a terrific passer, which is a very important asset for our "bigs", inasmuch as the offense often runs threw them.

They exist for all NBA, all star game, and 29 other teams.  Just because Brad Stevens makes a couple casual comments about positonless basketball doesn't mean there is no such thing as a point guard anymore.

they actually don't exist in the all star game anymore since last year. Its front court and back court now ... No singular positions to adapt to the new NBA

[incoherent]

LOL at all these pretentious responses.

The clear answer is 5. 

Go look at any of our clutch lineups, all of them include Al at the 5.

Also, how does positionless basketball work when you are drawing up a play?

When you draw up plays there are 5 players that need to be directed 1-5 and any player that comes in for another player needs to follow the play pattern for his position (1-5).

Please dont take  Brad so seriously, the guy 100% still operates in a 1-5 format for his offensive sets... there is no other way to do it.

[CelticsElite]

LOL at all these pretentious responses.

The clear answer is 5. 

Go look at any of our clutch lineups, all of them include Al at the 5.

Also, how does positionless basketball work when you are drawing up a play?

When you draw up plays there are 5 players that need to be directed 1-5 and any player that comes in for another player needs to follow the play pattern for his position (1-5).

Please dont take  Brad so seriously, the guy 100% still operates in a 1-5 format for his offensive sets... there is no other way to do it.

you're taking the position less thing too  literal. Amir played the 5 most of the time least year. That's position less

[incoherent]

LOL at all these pretentious responses.

The clear answer is 5. 

Go look at any of our clutch lineups, all of them include Al at the 5.

Also, how does positionless basketball work when you are drawing up a play?

When you draw up plays there are 5 players that need to be directed 1-5 and any player that comes in for another player needs to follow the play pattern for his position (1-5).

Please dont take  Brad so seriously, the guy 100% still operates in a 1-5 format for his offensive sets... there is no other way to do it.

you're taking the position less thing too  literal. Amir played the 5 most of the time least year. That's position less

?

[KGs Knee]

The question is do you play a second big along side him, or surround him with wing players?

This is really the only thing that matters. It seems Stevens prefers to start two bigs, saving small ball for other parts of the game, based on how he has coached the team over the least few seasons.   I'm fully expecting the Celtics to continue starting two bigs this year as well.

[Th3M2n]

His feet are too slow to be a fulltime 4, but he doesn't like the constant banging of being a 5.  He's more a hybrid 4/5 to be honest.

[Evantime34]

LOL at all these pretentious responses.

The clear answer is 5. 

Go look at any of our clutch lineups, all of them include Al at the 5.

Also, how does positionless basketball work when you are drawing up a play?

When you draw up plays there are 5 players that need to be directed 1-5 and any player that comes in for another player needs to follow the play pattern for his position (1-5).

Please dont take  Brad so seriously, the guy 100% still operates in a 1-5 format for his offensive sets... there is no other way to do it.

I agree with this. Positionless basketball refers more to defense than it does offense, imo. A positionless team on defense switches every screen and due to this rarely spends much time on their positional counterpart.

On offense positionless basketball has more to do with having so many similar sized/skilled players that is difficult for the defense to match up if they are playing a traditional lineup. For example if we play Crowder, Hayward and Jaylen against a traditional lineup we should have a size mismatch at one position or a quickness mismatch at another.

In terms of Stevens positions (Ball Handler, Wing and Big), Hoford is a big. I expect there to be a lot of time when Horford is the only big on the court, especially in crunch time.