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The Philadelphia 76ers brought in Al Horford over the summer to help the team move forward in their quest for an NBA title. His ability to be one of the better defenders in the league and also be one of the more efficient offensive players is a big plus to the group as a whole.
There is one other thing that Horford offers and that’s his leadership ability. He is a guy who has been around the league for a long time and he has seen a lot of things in the league. It’s that leadership that allows him to help the Sixers in other areas as well.
“Al’s good,” said James Ennis III. “He’s been in the league for a long time. He’s been to the playoffs his whole career being in the NBA. I’m happy he’s here. We can learn a lot from him, he always has something to say, positive, so it’s good vibes from him.”
It’s also that type of leadership that can help out the younger guys like rookie Matisse Thybulle who still has a lot to learn in this league.
“For me, just talking to me and helping me understand that ‘this is the NBA and things are different’ and just coaching me through a lot of that,” the rookie said. “Whether it’s helping me out because I get in foul trouble really easily and he goes to the refs because he has a relationship with them already and he talks to them on my behalf and he comes back to me with advice on how to do it better next time.”
Horford is also good for the team, not just for individuals. He wants to help everybody.
“I think he’s done a lot, not just for, but for the team,” Thybulle added. “I know we’ll have team meetings and he’ll jump in and give advice to everyone. Whether he’ll just go down the line and just stop at people and what he thinks can help them and help the team in different ways.”
The Sixers still have a lot of growing to do, but the addition of Horford is paying off in plenty of ways. [lawrence-related id=20550,20542,20535]