It remains to be seen what kind of impact Blake Griffin has on the court, but his presence already seems to be a positive for the Boston Celtics locker room.
Less than two weeks into his C's tenure, Griffin has wasted no time ingratiating himself with the team. Veteran big man Al Horford made it clear he's happy to have the six-time All-Star on board.
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"He's a great guy to have around," Horford said of Griffin on Monday. "Has a lot of perspective about the game. It's just been nice to have him around. He's a vet that gets it. He wants to be part of winning. He wants to do big things. And he's fit right in, quickly. He's one of us already. We're just -- all of us are just looking to take this journey together."
Griffin made his unofficial Celtics debut in Friday's preseason win over the Charlotte Hornets. The 13-year NBA veteran tallied seven points, nine rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes. Not bad for a guy who admittedly hadn't played any 5-on-5 basketball leading into the game.
After his first appearance in Celtics Green, Griffin raved about his first week spent with his new team.
"The intensity and maturity level of this group is off the charts," he told NBC Sports Boston's Abby Chin. "Every day when we get to work it's intense. It's not that we're going forever, but these guys are locked in and nobody has to tell us to be locked in. It's refreshing."
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With that mindset, it's easy to see why Horford thinks Griffin will fit right in.
Griffin's days of dunking over Kias are behind him, but the 33-year-old can still be a contributor off the bench this season. He'll especially come in handy while Robert Williams III recovers from his recent knee procedure.
The Celtics will wrap up their preseason in Toronto on Friday. They will open the NBA regular season at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 18.
Watch the full interview with Horford below: