One More Year? At Nearly 39, What Does Al Horford Really Have Left in the Tank?

The Boston Celtics’ season came to a bitter end — not with a bang, but with the slow unraveling of a championship-caliber team unable to close the deal. As the final buzzer echoed through TD Garden, one lingering question surfaced among fans and media alike: Was that the last time we saw Al Horford in a Celtics uniform?

For a man who just completed his 18th NBA season, the speculation is natural. Horford, turning 39 this June, is not just a senior statesman — he's the NBA equivalent of a walking relic. A five-time All-Star, a consummate pro, and now an NBA champion, he has nothing left to prove. His résumé is deep, his bank account is secure, and his family life — complete with a supportive spouse and children — is rich.

And yet, he’s not done.

According to ClutchPoints reporter Brett Siegel and confirmed by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Al Horford has no intention of retiring. In fact, he plans to return to Boston for the 2025 season, signaling that this chapter of his career — while weathered — is far from closed.

So the question isn’t whether he can return.

The real question is: What does Al Horford have left?

A Glance at the Numbers: Signs of Slippage

On the surface, Horford’s regular season numbers in 2024 looked solid:

• Games Played: 60

• Starts: 42

• Minutes: 27.6

• Points: 9.0

• Rebounds: 6.2

• Assists: 2.1

Compare that to the previous season:

• Games: 65

• Starts: 33

• Minutes: 26.8

• Points: 8.6

• Rebounds: 6.4

• Assists: 2.6

On paper, nothing too concerning. A small dip in assists, a slight uptick in scoring. But underneath the stat line lies a more troubling story — a sharp decline in efficiency:

• 2023 FG%: 51.1%

• 2023 3P%: 41.9%

• 2023 TS% (True Shooting): 65.0%

• 2024 FG%: 42.3%

• 2024 3P%: 35.3%

• 2024 TS%: 56.3%

These aren’t just fluctuations — they’re seismic drops for a player whose game now relies heavily on catch-and-shoot perimeter looks. Horford took 76% of his shots from beyond the arc this season — a career-high. When the shots fall, he stretches the floor and unlocks Boston’s offense. When they don’t, he becomes a liability.

The Postseason Pulse: Up and Down

If you want to gauge a veteran's value, look to the playoffs. That’s when the body aches more, the speed ramps up, and every possession counts.

Horford in the 2024 postseason:

• 8.0 PPG

• 6.0 RPG

• 1.8 APG

• FG%: 47.2%

• 3P%: 40.0%

Solid numbers, sure. But not when you zoom into the moments that mattered most.

• Game 1 vs. Knicks: 7 points on 2-of-6 shooting (1-of-5 from three)

• Game 2 vs. Knicks: 4 points on 2-of-11 shooting (0-of-5 from three)

In both games, the Celtics blew 20-point leads and lost by a combined 4 points. A single made three from Horford could have flipped the outcome. Instead, his cold shooting mirrored the team’s overall collapse.

And that’s the reality of the modern NBA: You live by the three, and die by it. Horford, now a high-volume spot-up threat, epitomizes that ethos.

The Defensive Ledger: Still Some Juice Left

What keeps Horford on the court — and in the Celtics’ plans — is his defensive IQ. He’s no longer quick enough to switch onto elite guards regularly, but his understanding of positioning, help timing, and rotations remains elite.

Advanced metrics from this postseason bear it out:

• Shots contested per game: 16

• Opponent FG% differential: -10.8% overall

• 3-point FG% differential: -3.7%

• Inside 10 feet: -16.6%

He may be a step slower, but Horford still deters shots at the rim and rotates like a seasoned general. His matchup data from the playoffs is telling:

• Josh Hart: 102 possessions, 14-of-28 FG (18 points)

• Karl-Anthony Towns: 91 possessions, 12-of-28 FG (28 points)

• Franz Wagner: 84 possessions, 4-of-22 FG (10 points)

• Paolo Banchero: 70 possessions, 11-of-25 FG (28 points)

• Jalen Brunson: 33 possessions, 12-of-27 FG (31 points)

These aren’t lockdown numbers, but they reflect a defender who can still hold his own in short bursts — especially in the post or against slower wings.

The Reality of Age: No Fountain of Youth

Let’s be blunt: Horford will be 39 next season. You don’t improve physically at 39. You don’t move better, jump higher, or recover faster. Any return to form will come from mental sharpness and team context, not athletic revival.

The Celtics can’t — and won’t — ask Horford to average 32 minutes per game in the playoffs again. Not without consequence. He’s not that player anymore, nor should he be asked to pretend.

If he returns, his role must be tailored:

• 20-24 MPG during regular season

• 15-20 MPG in postseason as matchup dictates

• Primarily as a spot starter or second-unit stabilizer

• Paired alongside a healthy Kristaps Porzingis to keep spacing intact

Bigger Offseason Questions Loom

The truth? Horford’s return is a footnote, not a headline.

The Celtics’ fate in 2025 hinges on larger dominoes:

• Kristaps Porzingis’ contract and health: Can he stay upright and productive?

• Jaylen Brown: Is a trade coming? Is his max deal becoming a burden?

• Jrue Holiday: Worth keeping long-term or a potential trade chip?

• No Tatum? If rumors of a season-long absence hold weight, what’s Boston’s ceiling without its cornerstone?

Horford is no longer the team’s foundation — he’s a seasoned pillar, one you keep around because of what he adds, not what you build around.

A Legacy Worth Celebrating

Drafted third overall in 2007. The anchor of those great Atlanta Hawks teams. The veteran presence who stabilized Boston during multiple playoff runs. The championship glue guy. Horford’s journey is a masterclass in consistency, adaptability, and professionalism.

He’s outlasted nearly every player from his draft class. He’s reinvented his game in the age of pace-and-space. And he’s earned the respect of teammates, coaches, opponents, and fans alike.

One more year?

Let him have it.

Because while the legs may be slower and the shots may not fall like they used to, Al Horford still belongs.

The Final Word

Al Horford isn’t here to carry the Celtics.

He’s here to complete them.

And as long as there’s gas in the tank — even if it’s just fumes — you roll with the old vet who’s been there, done that, and still wants it more than most of the league’s 25-year-olds.

You don’t question it.

You salute it.