Celtics’ Al Horford Makes Confident Claim As Season Winds Down

A few Celtics are in contention for prestigious individual honors. Jayson Tatum likely will receive some recognition for the MVP Award, while Joe Mazzulla could catch votes for Coach of the Year.

And if you ask Al Horford, Jaylen Brown is a lock to garner one of the league’s most prestigious accolades.

Brown is at the tail end of a very solid offensive regular season, averaging 23.2 points per game on the heels of a 23-point showing against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. But it’s the strides that Brown has taken on defense this season that have really stuck out.

Horford believes Brown should be recognized for those efforts.

“Just being very unbiased, it’s very clear he’s first-team All-Defense,” Horford told reporters after Boston’s win over OKC at TD Garden, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “You look at what he’s doing individually and the impact he has on the defensive end. We’re one of the best defenses; we have the best record. He deserves to be in that position.”

Brown’s first-team All-Defense candidacy probably isn’t as “clear” as Horford makes it out to be, but the 27-year-old certainly has become a stronger two-way player. The Celtics will need Brown to keep bringing impactful efforts on both ends of the floor as they embark on their quest for a championship.

Brown also won’t be the only Boston guard who fields consideration for All-Defense honors. Teammates Derrick White and Jrue Holiday have built very legitimate cases as well.