Al Horford is excited and confident heading into the playoffs


Well Celtics fans, the C's are back in the playoffs, poised to make their longest run in years, and people are hyped. But we're not the only ones who are psyched for the postseason, so is Al Horford, and he says it may be a new level of excitement, via Jay King of MassLive:

"These are the playoffs that I've looked forward to the most probably since I've been in this league," Horford said after a light practice Tuesday. "I feel very strong about this group. I think we have a special group. I can't wait for us to get started (in the playoffs)."


Keep in mind this comes from Al Horford. If it were Isaiah saying this, it'd be pretty obvious. He's never been on a seriously good playoff team. But Al, on the other hand, has been on contenders. His Atlanta Hawks finished with 60 wins just two years ago. What makes this team so special that he's more excited than he ever was with Atlanta?

"I just think that we have a group of guys that are really starting to understand what Coach wants and expects," Horford told MassLive. "And it's all of us, I'm including myself. We're all really understanding what Coach wants from us and we're doing those things defensively for longer periods of time -- longer and harder. It's hard to put a full game together because every team is going to make runs and stuff, but I just think defensively that sets us apart. Because we're able to defend, and that's going to put us in positions to be successful. And then on the offensive end the biggest thing for us is just making adjustments. And if we're able to keep moving the ball the way that we're capable of, understanding that it's about the team, I think that's what will make us really special. So that's why I feel really good about it."


We've seen this Celtics team feed off each other's energy on the court and in the locker room, so this coming from the veteran Horford could have a huge impact on the C's in the postseason.

Follow Topher Lane on Twitter, @Topher_L. Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images.