Power Forward Matchup: Thaddeus Young v Al Horford
There is a small chance that the Celtics go small and this matchup is wrong. Horford could be the starting center alongside Marcus Morris playing the four.
But Horford is the most likely starter at power forward and has started the most games there in the green jersey, so this makes the most sense. If Horford does get the nod at the Power Forward slot, he is the better player.
Thaddeus Young is criminally under-discussed. Ben Gibson wrote about how important he, and his consistency, are for the Pacers. He’s one of the teams best defenders, he keeps the offense humming, and he tries hard in literally every facet of the game.
But Horford was an All-Star for a reason. Al is a lock for an all-defense team, as he is the quarterback of the Celtics scheme. He can switch on to smaller guys, bang in the post with bigger guys, and slide his feet to stay in front of anyone. His 101.1 defensive rating is a testament to his impact on that end of the court; that number would be the best figure on the Pacers (sans Glenn Robinson III and his small playing time sample).
Oh, and Horford is also shooting 43.3 percent from deep while grabbing 7.4 rebounds a night. He can literally do anything the Celtics ask him to do, and he might be the most underrated player in all of basketball.
Advantage: Celtics.