Kyrie Irving has been a big reason for the Boston Celtics’ early-season success despite the absence of Gordon Hayward. However, Al Horford has been an equally big part of their success, and Irving acknowledged how Horford’s unique skill set has been valuable to the Celtics’ system.

Per @celtics:

“He’s a unique big. He’s able to pick and pop and still be able to post up down low and have the in and out game, so it works really well for our system.”

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Horford is having a terrific all-around season for the Celtics. He’s averaging 14.3 points, 7.9 rebounds — his highest in five years — and a career-high 5.4 assists. He’s also shooting 54 percent from the field and a career-best 42 percent from beyond the arc.

Horford’s versatility and intelligence have been key reasons why he and Irving have quickly developed a nice chemistry on offense. His improved three-point shooting this season has also helped open up the Celtics’ offense even more and has given Irving the space he needs to operate.

But aside from Horford’s unique set of skills offensively, he’s equally as valuable to the Celtics’ league-best defense because of his ability to switch and defend multiple positions. He can still be overpowered by bigger centers, but he more than makes up for that one flaw with all the other skills he brings to the table.