Horford has high praise for Celtics newcomer Moses Brown originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Al Horford headlined the trade that sent Kemba Walker from the Boston Celtics to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the other player heading to Boston in the deal shouldn’t be overlooked.
Moses Brown spent the 2020-21 season with Horford in OKC, and he made a lasting impression on the 35-year-old veteran.
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“As far as Moses, man, he’s a great kid,” Horford said during his press conference Thursday. “Guys are going to love him in the locker room. He listens. He’s all about the team. He’s trying to play the right way.
“I really just tried to help him in the short time that I was with him in OKC any way that I could. Defensively – with the with the big guys I’m usually harping a lot on defense. Those are some of the things that I was talking to him about. He’s somebody that also has a lot of potential as well. But he’s going to be grateful for the locker room. He’s a really good guy.”
Brown, 21, is entering his third NBA season and provided a glimpse of that lofty potential with the Thunder. The 7-foot-2 center averaged 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds in 21.4 minutes through 43 games.
One of Brown’s most notable performances coincidentally came against Boston on March 27. The big man put up 21 points while bringing down a whoping 23 rebounds in 33 minutes.
Given Horford’s scouting report and Brown’s flashes of brilliance, there’s a chance the C’s struck gold with the UCLA product. It certainly won’t hurt to for Brown to continue to get mentorship from Horford, a five-time All-Star with an All-Defensive and All-NBA pedigree.
Horford also shared high praise for new Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who coached him as an assistant during his 2019-20 campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers.