SAN FRANCISCO — Speaking in a darkened corner of the Chase Center, home of his new NBA club, Al Horford shared his perspective on what’s transpired 3,000 miles away at TD Garden this season.

No, he says, he isn’t surprised that the Celtics have exceeded expectations despite losing Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, the injured Jayson Tatum and himself this offseason. In Horford’s view, the standards set by Joe Mazzulla and enforced by Jaylen Brown would not allow Boston to become noncompetitive.

There is one aspect of the Celtics’ unexpectedly impressive season, however, that the 39-year-old big man did not see coming: He did not envision Neemias Queta — a fourth-stringer on last year’s veteran-laden team — emerging as a capable, everyday starting center.

“To me, that’s been the biggest surprise,” Horford, who left in free agency to sign with the Golden State Warriors, told the Herald on Monday. “And I don’t mean it in a bad way. It’s in a very good way. But it’s a lot of responsibility to be a starting center, to play those type of minutes, everything that it requires. Neemi really worked in the offseason, and they figured it out over there. And he’s — he’s just been really good. He’s been consistent. He’s been helping them win. I’m not looking even at the numbers; I just look at results, and the fact that he’s having an impact and he’s doing those things, I’m just very proud of him when I see that. Because he’s a good person, he’s a hard worker, and he’s put himself in this position.”

With Queta (and effective backup Luka Garza) plugging the team’s biggest roster hole, Brown delivering the best season of his career in Tatum’s absence, and Boston getting strong minutes from its squadron of young, high-energy wings, the 31-18 Celtics entered the week ranked third in the NBA in both net rating and point differential. Only Detroit sat above them in the Eastern Conference standings.

“It’s been a lot of changes, but it doesn’t surprise me, just because I know who Joe Mazzulla is,” Horford said. “I feel like when he first got the job, a lot of people were like, ‘Well, he has so much (roster) talent. He has all these things. They’re going to be fine.’ It doesn’t work like that, and I think that in moments now that they’re being questioned and challenged, he really gets to show he’s a really, really good coach. All the guys respect him. Everybody embraces him. And Jaylen has just taken that leap. He’s seized that opportunity. …

“It doesn’t surprise me because of Joe’s character and Jaylen’s determination. I think that everybody else kind of has fallen in line, and it’s been pretty impressive to see that.”

Asked whether he saw this type of leap coming from Brown — who was voted an All-Star starter for the first time and has been discussed as a fringe NBA MVP candidate — Horford replied: “Absolutely.”

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“What I’ve learned with Jaylen is that anytime that he’s been knocked down, he finds a way to get back up and to continue to grow and get better,” the 19th-year pro said. “… Each year, I’ve just seen an improvement with him, with his play, with his consistency, and when he talks about sacrificing, it is true. There was always so much more that he could have done, that he understood that for the team and to win, it was important for him to take a backseat, to defer at different times. And he was very graceful with it and very patient with it. And that’s something that I really commend him (for), because it’s not easy to do.”

As for himself, Horford called his first season on the West Coast “a big learning experience.” After playing seven of the last nine seasons in Boston, where he won an NBA title in 2024, he’s battled injuries, unfamiliarity and nearly as many losses (23) as wins (27) on a team that entered the year with championship aspirations.

“Us being in Boston for so many years, we really felt a part of the community,” he said. “We were very familiar with everything. And then I understood that coming here was going to be a lot of changes, and it was going to be very different. So for me, it’s been a learning experience, just trying to learn a new system, learn being around a new team, and trying to figure things out, and at the same time just trying to do my best on the court.”

That learning took time. Across his first 13 appearances for Golden State — which were scattered over six weeks — Horford averaged 5.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, shot 32.1% from the field, and was deep in the negatives in net rating (minus-7.6) and plus/minus (minus-50).

But since shaking the sciatica issue that sidelined him for much of December, Horford has been far more efficient and available. He’s suited up for 16 of the Warriors’ last 20 games, averaging 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds and upping his shooting percentage to 49.0% (39.7% from 3-point range) during that span.

Horford’s net rating over those 16 games is 10.8 — second-best among all Golden State regulars — and the team has outscored opponents by 76 points with him on the floor. Head coach Steve Kerr recently moved him into the starting lineup.

“He’s awesome,” Kerr said. “He’s such a great pro. He’s seen it all. Such a good player. He’s become, in the latter stages of his career, an excellent 3-point shooter. But the wisdom, the fundamental play, the awareness of what wins — all of that is so huge for us. And I’m thrilled for Al, because the first part of the season, we had so many back-to-backs. He couldn’t play in the back-to-backs, and then he suffered the injury. It feels like over the last two or three weeks, he’s really found his groove, and it’s helping us immensely.”

Horford is set to face the Celtics for the first time on Thursday, Feb. 19 — both teams’ first game back from the NBA All-Star break. His lone visit to TD Garden this season is on March 18.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, you know, to leave with my kids in school, with us, with our stability and everything,” Horford said. “But for me, it’s always been about my faith and my growth, and I felt like it was time for me to do something different. And right now, I’m at peace with that. But going over there, it’s going to be very, very nice, because it’s like going back home.”