Veteran Boston Celtics forward Al Horford may not fill up the stat sheet with gaudy numbers, but what he does for the Celtics has been the engine that has kept Boston at the top of the standings this season, and All-NBA teammate Jayson Tatum wants to be sure you know it.

Lauding Horford after the Celtics’ blowout win of the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday night, Tatum let it be known we need to appreciate what the Florida alum brings to Boston. “We just can’t keep taking him for granted,” said the St. Louis native via Boston Dot Com’s Colin McCarthy.

“(He’s the) best teammate I ever had, ultimate professional, and somebody that we can count on, night in and night out,” added Tatum. “He proved that again tonight.”

The 16-season vet has indeed been as integral as ever to what the Celtics need on any given night in spite of the fact that Horford is putting up a career low in scoring.

But as has been the case for some time, the intangibles that do not show up in the box score — and plenty that do — have become almost clockwork for Boston as he scales his production and energy up or down depending on the role he is asked to play.

And as Tatum notes, we should not take that for granted.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire