The Celtics are the best team in the Eastern Conference. Kyrie Irving has led the Celtics to the East's best record after requesting a trade from the Cavaliers in the offseason. After being named an Eastern Conference starter, Brad Stevens expressed his congratulations for his point guard and his desire for Al Horford to join him in the All-Star game lineup, according to Jared Weiss of USA Today.

Stevens on Kyrie All-Star start: He certainly deserve it. He’s had a great year and I hope Al makes it as well. Those guys deserve all the accolades.

Horford is currently averaging 13.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. This certainly isn't the first time Stevens has commented on Horford's ability. According to Josue Pavon of WEEI, Stevens considers Horford to be one of the best defensive big men in the NBA.

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“A lot of names get thrown around, rightfully so, in defensive talk around the league. I mean, there's a lot of really good defenders but Al's up there, and doesn't always get mentioned, and that's okay with Al,” Stevens explained. “I think that he's kind of proven that he's okay with just contributing to winning whether he gets talked about or not.”

Stephen Curry and LeBron James have been selected as the All-Star game's team captains, which means that they can select any player they choose. While it isn't clear if both captains will select Horford, it's hard to deny the impact that he has had for the Celtics as the team will try to get back to the NBA Finals since 2010.