The Boston Celtics season ended after a disappointing 119-81 defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Conference Cicadas.
After winning the 18th championship last year, the Boston Celtics were poised to repeat themselves, but Jason Tatum’s injury in Game 3 ruined their plans.
Director Joe Mazzola revealed he wasn’t too worried about Tatum’s return, but wanted to focus on those in the locker room.
The Celtics’ roster has been reported not to look the same as next season, and this is due to how expensive the team is from top to bottom.
Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown both have large contracts, but what’s hard for them is the fact that Derrick White, Christaps Porzingis and Julou Holiday will also be expensive to be on the roster.
This means they have to say goodbye to some players, but there is one person that some teammates would like to keep up next year.
Al Horford is one of the NBA’s most respected veterans.
He was solid for the franchise and despite his age, Horford strengthened his game with some big matchups for the Celtics.
Payton Pritchard has made it clear that he is extremely important in the locker room and the team will need his services next season.
He said:
“He’s just a leader so he definitely needs to come back.”
Luke Cornett, who had an incredible Game 5 performance, also shared the same sense in his exit interview.
He said:
“He clearly meant a lot to our team and this franchise. He’s an incredibly skilled player and great, but I feel it in terms of team identity. He’s the best teammate I’ve ever played.”
Sam Hauser also shared what he learned from Veteran Big.
“Tell him about being a professional. He’s one of his best teammates. What I learned most from him was being routine and efficient,” Hauser said.
Horford is entering the offseason as a free agent and no decisions have been made about his future.
At 38, he averaged eight points, six rebounds and 1.3 blocks, showing that basketball is still on the way, shooting 40% of the ball from the 3-point range.
However, the Celtics have big decisions to make other big decisions about the future of players like Porzingis and White.
Horford could be picked up at the lowest level of a veteran, but the player said it was too early to discuss his future.
“For me, it’s too early to talk about it, I’m going to take some time with my wife and kids.
“It wasn’t even a day. There’s still a lot to deal with, and it’s been hard to feel everything since last night,” Horford said.