Lost in all the Paul Pierce swan song at the TD Garden on Sunday was the fact that Al Horford had a big game – a really big game – rebounding the ball.
Boston’s $113 million man grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds in the Celtics’ 107-102 win against the Los Angeles Clippers.
And while there are many things Horford has done at a really high level this season, rebounding has not been one of them.
But in watching Horford play, it appears his less-than-ideal rebounding numbers are as much a function of his role in Boston’s system than it is him struggling.
“People don’t understand, normally I’m defending pick and rolls high,” Horford told CSNNE.com. “So when the shot goes up I’m usually on the perimeter. (On Sunday), I was guarding DeAndre Jordan, a big. My whole thing was, their guards weren’t really threatening, so I got to stay back, wrestle with him and get rebounds.”
The last time Boston played Sacramento, Horford had one of his best games of the season, tallying a season-high 26 points along with eight rebounds and six blocked shots which was also a season-best.
Achieving those numbers tonight might be a little easier if as expected, the Kings will be without DeMarcus Cousins. The three-time all-star center picked up his 16th technical foul of the season in a loss to Chicago on Monday
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Achieving those numbers tonight might be a little easier with DeMarcus Cousins serving a one game suspension without pay after picking up his 16th technical foul in a loss to the Chicago bulls on Monday. The league also fined him $25,000 for “making an inappropriate statement and gesture after leaving the playing court following the Kings’ 109-106 overtime win against the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 4 at Golden 1 Center.”
League rules state that a player is suspended for one game after they pick up a 16th technical foul.
The NBA can rescind a technical if they deem it was unwarranted, something the league has done on three other occasions with Cousins.
Regardless of whether Cousins plays or not, the Celtics will need Horford to continue to make his presence felt if they are to extend their season-long winning streak which now stands at seven straight.
“The one thing about Al, he’s always in a stance, his arms are always long,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “He takes up a lot of space and reacts quickly to what’s going on.”
As you look at Horford’s body of work this season, it’s clear that most of his best rebounding performances have come against teams in which he’s matched up against a big who doesn’t necessarily stretch the floor offensively.
Against the Detroit Pistons, Horford grabbed 10 rebounds while battling Andre Drummond.
Memphis’ Marc Gasol can stretch the floor from the center position, but he spends most of his time near the rim. Against the Grizzlies earlier this season, Horford had 14 rebounds.
“(Against the Clippers), I got to sit in the paint a little more, wrestle with him (Jordan) and get rebounds,” Horford said.
Certainly Horford defending stretch bigs has an impact on what he does in terms of his rebounding total, but his numbers now aren’t all that different than what they were last season.
This season, Horford is averaging 6.8 rebounds per game which is down from last season when he averaged 7.3 with the Atlanta Hawks. And Horford’s 11.6 rebounding percentage thus far is slightly down when compared to 12.2 last season.
However, what Horford is bringing to the table from a defensive standpoint should not be overlooked.
Take the Clippers game for example.
Horford wound up contesting a total of 17 shots on Sunday. The next highest total for the Celtics was Amir Johnson with nine.
Horford is averaging 13.6 contested shots per game which ranks fifth among all centers in the NBA. And when it comes to bigs who can stretch the floor, Horford is contesting 3.7 three-pointers per game which is tops among all centers in the league. In addition, the 1.1 loose balls per game he recovers is tied with Cousins.
Whether he’s grabbing a bunch of rebounds or contesting shots, Stevens has no issue with Horford continuing to make his presence felt with the Celtics.
More than anything, "He just impacts winning,” Stevens said.