Big Lead Article: "Al Horford Has Become a Big Problem for the Celtics"

[Donoghus]

In today's Land of a Thousand Hot Takes, this from the Big Lead

https://thebiglead.com/2018/03/07/al-horford-has-become-a-serious-problem-for-the-celtics/

Among the gems...

In the meantime, Horford will be part of the reason the Celtics are practically irrelevant for the NBA Championship. Because when he, Irving and Hayward are on the court together, they don’t comprise a “Big 3.” It’s just a “Big 2” with Hayward and Irving. And there’s no such thing as a “Big 2.” Unless Horford fights his way up the NBA food chain and explodes with production — and he’s been trending downward since the All-Star break — the Celtics will probably spin in place in the NBA’s hamster wheel

[Surferdad]

Not going to read it.  Most of us know what Horford brings and all the little things he does, not to mention being a very very good two-way player.

[Bucketgetter]

This article is pathetic. Especially since this idea means every team besides Golden State has a big problem and will "spin in place in the NBA's hamster wheel" because Horford is the best 3rd banana on any team besides the Warriors. Dumb.

[fairweatherfan]

Don't click it. But do mock it, it's pretty comical.

My favorite is using Horford's PER, which is already a problem, but then also understating it by 10 pts and just using straight Basketball Reference rankings with no filter for playing time, meaning over a dozen players with sub-100 minutes played are "better", including our own RJ Hunter being 5th best in the league despite not attempting a shot.

[GreenShooter]

Not going to read it either.
He's no Kevin Garnett (part of a big 3) and anyone expecting anything close to that are delusional. Yes, Al gets paid big money, but it's no reason to put unreasonable expectations on him. He is what he is and what was basically expected (I gotta find a new word) of him, maybe a little more but whatever. If he wasn't shooting the 3 like he's been (not counting recent slump) we'd be really screwed.
We need to stop with bashing Al threads. No one thought we'd get "much more" production than what he's brought to us. I think his overall game will be better when Hayward comes back next year.

[wdleehi]

What he thinks is "bad news" I think is good news.

As soon as the Eastern Conference Finals, Horford could be the fifth best player on the team.

Basically if Hayward returns and Tatum and Brown grow to the point they are better then Al, the team is in trouble because "Al is payed to much"

[More Banners]

Sure, rather have Anthony Davis for max money, but probably not Kevin Love.

If the point is that max players are not all equal, um, okay.

Horford is steady, and makes others better by being consistent defensively, and not trying to get his - ever - on offense.  He is a team guy 100%.

Yes, maybe he is the 3rd best, but he can be 3rd best on a champ. No doubts.  Might not drop 40, but can help Tatum to.

[fairweatherfan]

What he thinks is "bad news" I think is good news.

As soon as the Eastern Conference Finals, Horford could be the fifth best player on the team.

Basically if Hayward returns and Tatum and Brown grow to the point they are better then Al, the team is in trouble because "Al is payed to much"

I can't imagine how disheartening it'd be as a fan to have a DPOY candidate and All-Star as merely our fifth-best player 

That's something even Golden State doesn't have and it's being framed as a negative. Absurd.

[Donoghus]

What he thinks is "bad news" I think is good news.

As soon as the Eastern Conference Finals, Horford could be the fifth best player on the team.

Basically if Hayward returns and Tatum and Brown grow to the point they are better then Al, the team is in trouble because "Al is payed to much"

I can't imagine how disheartening it'd be as a fan to have a DPOY candidate and All-Star as merely our fifth-best player 

That's something even Golden State doesn't have and it's being framed as a negative. Absurd.

If this scenario actually unfolds, the "BIG" problem will be what day to host the championship parade.

[Moranis]

It is obviously an over the top piece of literature, but a lot of what was discussed in the article, we have been discussing in the Horford thread.  He isn't the 11th best player in the league, but he has the 11th highest salary.  He is 31 and signed for huge dollars for 2 more years.  His salary number will likely cause Boston to lose Smart and/or Monroe this summer so the team avoids the luxury tax. 

[KGs Knee]

I think the worst thing about this garbage article, and let's be clear, it is garbage because it is based on garbage analysis, is that it will empower the "Horford Haters" on this blog to double down on their stance.

But mostly, it's just sad that articles like these ever get written in the first place. I don't understand how people that have such a rudimentary understanding of the game are given a platform like this.

[kozlodoev]

I can't imagine how disheartening it'd be as a fan to have a DPOY candidate and All-Star as merely our fifth-best player 

Yeah, that's not real. He was a shoo-in for a while, because the Celtics had the best defense in the league and you need to pick someone to get the individual award as a team acknowledgement. But I don't think Horford is more deserving than, say, Marcus Smart. And you won't hear Smart's name in the DPOY conversation (and for a good reason).

[kozlodoev]

I think the worst thing about this garbage article, and let's be clear, it is garbage because it is based on garbage analysis, is that it will empower the "Horford Haters" on this blog to double down on their stance.

When you say "Horford Haters", do you mean the folk who think having Horford is better than not having him, but can't quite agree that he's worth the max contract, is the DPOY, and is as a matter of general principle the greatest thing since sliced bread?

Asking for a friend

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Won't click and won't visit the website, because any basketball site that publishes that info is displaying a profound lack of understanding of the game of basketball.

[KGs Knee]

I think the worst thing about this garbage article, and let's be clear, it is garbage because it is based on garbage analysis, is that it will empower the "Horford Haters" on this blog to double down on their stance.

When you say "Horford Haters", do you mean the folk who think having Horford is better than not having him, but can't quite agree that he's worth the max contract, is the DPOY, and is as a matter of general principle the greatest thing since sliced bread?

Asking for a friend

Uh, maybe tell your friend to stop getting drunk before noon?

Also, sliced bread really ain't all that great.