Al Horford needs to shoot more starting tonight


Al Horford only attempted four shots in the Celtics Game Three loss to the the Cavaliers, making two of them. That needs to change.

It seemed to me that virtually every Celtic played tentatively in that blowout, rather than being the aggressors and taking the game to the Cavaliers. Terry Rozier seemed to revert to his previous mode of dribbling side-to-side with no sound purpose, instead of making the drive and trying to score or pass off.

Playoffs are the time for veterans to take control, and that starts with Al Horford. A total of seven points for the game on 2-of-4 shooting won't get it done.

In the 15 playoff games thus far, Al has averaged 16.4 PPG on 6.2 shot attempts per contest. And that is with 57% accuracy. Horford simply cannot be hesitant shooting the ball. That simply puts more pressure on a young crew that needs to play loose. Tentative play can be as contagious as aggression.



Al has performed terrifically in the playoffs. In addition to his 16.4 PPG, he is averaging 8.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.1 SPG and 1.3 BPG. He needs to get back to taking at least the six shots per contest he is averaging, and maybe a few more. His team needs him to do that.

Follow Tom at TomLaneHC

Photo via Matt West/Boston Herald
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