Joe Mazzulla Addresses Al Horford's Willingness to Come Off Bench

Joe Mazzulla placed an emphasis on team sacrifice.

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA regular season commences on Tuesday, October 24th. With an influx of new talent over the offseason, such as Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, there’s uncertainty over who will be part of the Boston Celtics’ starting lineup.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis are expected to serve as Boston’s core. From there, the organization could shift between a small lineup, including Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, or a double-big lineup, including Porzinigis and Al Horford.

Horford has appeared in 1,180 games over his 16-year-long NBA career. The veteran was named a starter for 1,168 of those games, but this season will likely change his frequent-starter status.

When asked whether Horford’s willingness to come off the bench stems from a prior conversation or if this new role was assumed, Joe Mazzulla conveyed the following to Inside The Celtics.

“Nothing is ever a given with the players… Al (Horford) is one of our cultural warriors. Everything runs through him, everything starts with him as far as our organization, our locker room, and our team. At the same time, I said it the other night, this isn’t an Al question. This isn’t an Al vs a Jrue (Holiday) question. Everybody in the organization needs to sacrifice. It just looks different from each person. We’re all going to have to do it at some point in time.”

The Celtics begin their regular season on Wednesday, October 25th, against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Further Reading

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Celtics Praise Al Horford, Who May Have to Sacrifice Most: 'Critical Piece to Our Team and Our Locker Room'

Celtics Embracing Sacrifice in Championship Pursuit: 'Have to Buy into That'

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