When the season went into suspension on March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were two tracks of thinking when concerning the Philadelphia 76ers. The break was either going to help them heal up or this was going to derail any plans the front office had at building and competing for the title they set out for with their moves in the offseason.
The first track came through quickly as it allowed Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid to completely heal up from their injuries before the season suspension. The Sixers are now led by the two healthy All-Stars and there is some hope heading into this Orlando restart.
However, Al Horford was also able to get healthy as the 34-year old had dealt with knee tendinitis in the past. The break was good for him to get back healthy and now that the team is getting back to work, they have to make sure that he stays healthy the rest of the way.
“It was definitely good to get the break,” said Horford. “Honestly, at the end before the season got suspended, that’s when I felt my best all year. Those last few games is when I started to turn the corner health-wise and when you start ramping that back up and do different things, we continue to work hard on the day-to-day stuff to make sure that I am where I need to be. For me, looking back on it, I was actually feeling well and I’m at a point now that I’m pretty good to go as well.”
Horford is a guy who has had a lot of success in his career. He is a 5-time All-Star and he is a guy who understands what it takes to get a win. That is why his health is just as important to this team as Simmons and Embiid’s. Even with him coming off the bench, he is going to play a serious role in whatever success Philadelphia has. [lawrence-related id=35171,35161,35151]