There are some people on the pitch who are not glamorous in their stats and their movements are not gorgeous, but because of his presence, they can make the whole team run more efficiently and smoothly.
This type of player is known as the "ball blindness appraiser".
On the football field, such players include Busquets and Mandzukic, and the most famous on the basketball court is Al Horford.
This season's Celtics have had a lot of scenery, not only entering the playoffs with second place in the East, but also sweeping the Nets of Durant and Irving in four straight sets. In terms of individual merits, Tatum's Victory Contribution (DWS) is the number one in the league, and Smart has become the best defender of the guard after Payton in 1996.
But we all know that the cornerstone of this team's defense is Horford.
After returning after two years, Horford, who is 2 meters 06, not only still maintains the agility and hard work of the small ball inside line, but also does not delay the overall change of defense system of the Green Army - this season he has spent 21.9% of his time defending against the defender, the highest of all the starting centers in the league, and also set a personal career record, while facing embiid, alphabet brother and other interior giants, with the strength of the fierce lower limbs, it is still the team's last barrier.
Compared to the previous Theiss, he has better confrontation and basket protection; compared to tt, he is more stable, experienced, and has a longer range.
What's more, you take a closer look at the difference between the Greens' starting personnel in these two seasons, and there is only one Horford – we're not ignoring the progress of other players, but Horford's presence does make the team's interior attack and defense more relaxed.
Having Horford under the basket is like giving everyone a reassuring pill, steady and reassuring.
It's like the way he looked when he first came to this team.
In the summer of 2016, the East, ruled by James, was "not happy", and the Eagles, who felt hopeless, also ushered in the disbandment, and the core center of the team chose to go to Boston. (Also almost went to the Thunder)
At that time, Horford had just turned 30 years old, at the peak of his physical condition and technical ability, and could also swing in the fourth and fifth positions.
Excellent skills, good consciousness, and agile skills are the fundamentals of 2.06 meters that he can stand in the NBA.
And, as many overlook, he was one of the NBA's first insiders to adapt to the small-ball era and develop a three-point skill pack.
Prior to 2015, in the first eight seasons of his career, he had only made 75 shots and thrown 21 goals outside the three-point line, shooting 28.0 percent from the field.
In the 2015-16 season, he shot 256 three-pointers and hit 88 in one season, shooting 34.4%.
From 2015 to the present, he has been able to guarantee to throw more than one three-pointer with a shooting rate of around 35% in every season.
It took almost a year for him to complete the "spatialization" of a traditional inner line.
Offensively, he's one of the best space-based interiors in the league since 2015-16, scoring more than one three-pointer with around 35 percent shooting in each season.
This season he has averaged 1.3 shots from 3.8 shots per game, shooting 33.8 percent.
Although he has no championship and no MVP, he has a total career salary of $240 million and has what the league is recognized as the most beautiful wife.
His wife, Emily Vega, was a Dominican representative at the age of 18, winning the 2003 Miss Universe title. The two married in 2011 and now have four children.
Although not in the NBA Horford is not a top superstar, his life is undoubtedly perfect.
So this year's Celtics, has a chance to fulfill his dream of a championship?