At Celtics Media Day, Al Horford followed in Jaylen Brown's footsteps, praising one of his new teammates. Horford, now 37, seemingly gushed over Boston's new big Kristaps Porzingis.
"It's pretty unbelievable watching him go through workouts and play," the team veteran said.
Hearing that should be incredible news for Celtics fans. The 7-foot-3 big man had been suffering through a plantar fasciitis injury that was bad enough to hold him out of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where his home country of Latvia finished fifth. If Porzingis has been playing "unbelievably" in workouts, it must mean he is feeling good coming off of the injury.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"I've played against him over the years, but when you really see a guy like that, he's really 7-foot-3," Horford said on Porzingis, "Maybe even a little taller."
With the loss of center Robert Williams to the Portland Trail Blazers in the trade that brought Jrue Holiday to Boston, the Celtics will need every inch of height they can get. Porzingis should quickly fill that team need, averaging 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game last season.
MORE CELTICS COVERAGE
"The way that he moves, his feel for the game, and some of the things that he brings, I'm just really excited," Horford said.
Nicknamed the Unicorn in his rookie year, Porzingis is truly a unique player. Unlike most players over seven feet tall, Porzingis can consistently score from anywhere. Averaging 23.2 points per game last season, Porzingis attempted a career-high 5.5 3-pointers per game, converting 38.5 percent. In a notable improvement over Williams, Porzingis also converted 85.1 percent of his free throws, compared to Williams' 61.0 percent.
"We've been here already for a few weeks putting in work, trying to get to know each other and develop that chemistry," Horford said, "I'm very excited for what's ahead for him. He is that player who is going to have a big impact."
Horford, a 16-year NBA veteran, has an extremely high basketball IQ and a deep understanding of the game. He knows what it takes to win at a high level, and he believes Porzingis can help the Celtics do just that.
Going into Year 17, Horford will look to improve from career-lows in points and rebounds last season, averaging 9.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.