BOSTON -- The Celtics have been taking a “strategic rest” approach with Al Horford most of this season, similar to how they handled Kevin Garnett in his final years in Boston.
It is a plan that’s focused on making sure Horford is as fresh as he can be for the games that matter most, such as the heavyweight tilt Saturday against the two-time defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
He’ll need to be because as talented as Golden State has been in recent years, they are even more star-studded now with DeMarcus Cousins in the lineup.
And as much as this game will be a measuring stick of sorts as to where the Celtics are now, it’s also an opportunity to put Boston’s slow-and-easy approach with Horford to what’s clearly the ultimate regular-season test.
Horford, 32, had been dealing with some discomfort in his left knee for a while before team doctors diagnosed him with patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Like you, Horford had no idea what that was until the team's medical staff told him that was the ailment he was dealing with.
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So, measures were soon taken to lighten his workload, cut back his minutes and from time to time, even have him sit out a game here and there to rest as was the case Wednesday night in Boston's 123-103 win over Cleveland.
And while some point to concerns about his dip in production this season, it should not come as a surprise when you consider he’s playing less.
In December and thus far in January, Horford has averaged 26.0 and 26.3 minutes per game.
It's a noticeable dip for a player who has averaged just under 33 minutes per game throughout his career.
However, Boston has made a conscious effort to increase his workload recently and the result has been a noticeable increase in playing time and overall impact.
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In Boston’s past four games, Horford has played 30 or more minutes three times, which is a clear sign of the team’s intentions to ratchet up his playing time for this stretch leading into the All-Star break.
And that increase in minutes is good news to Horford.
“As a player, you want to be out there playing,” he said. “You want to play through stuff and I’ve done that in the past. They [team doctors] sat me down and said this is really the right thing … you will see the difference and I noticed the difference. It just feels really good to be healthy and be able to play at a high level.”
In the four most recent games with Horford, all Celtics wins, he has indeed been a difference-maker by averaging 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 65.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.
And in facing Cousins, Horford will be matched against one of the better big men in the NBA.
Based on their previous matchups, the Celtics have reason to feel good about Horford’s chances against Cousins, 28, who has played two games for the Warriors (14 points in 15 minutes against the Clippers and eight points in 21 minutes against the Lakers) after signing with Golden State while recovering from offseason Achilles' surgery.
According to nba.com/stats, here’s a look at what Horford has done in games in which Cousins was on the floor with him at the same time and, in most instances, the primary defender on Horford.
15.4 points per game
5.6 rebounds
2.7 assists
2.0 blocks
58.3 percent shooting from the field
62.5 percent shooting on 3’s
And the flip side, here’s how Cousins has fared offensively when Horford has been on the floor with him.
15.0 points per game
8.8 rebounds
3.2 assists
1.2 steals
0.7 blocks
40.4 percent shooting from the field
33.3 percent shooting on 3’s
And while there are certainly even more higher-profile matchups that will draw the kind of attention like a moth to a flame when these two collide on Saturday, the Horford-Cousins battle is one that should not be overlooked.
“It's going to be big,” said Terry Rozier. He's a big boy down there. I'm pretty sure Al is ready for the challenge, but he got to guard Al too. Al stretches the floor so it's going to be a great matchup. We'll be ready for it.”
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