Al Horford’s season has not gone as planned for himself and the Philadelphia 76ers. He was expected to form one of the toughest and formidable duos in the NBA, but instead, the offense has been a little dysfunctional at times and coach Brett Brown made the move to bring Horford off the bench in their final game before the All-Star break.
That does not mean that Horford has not made a big impact on this team. He accepted the demotion to the bench with “all class” in the words of Brown and he has been a leader for this team pulling guys aside to help them with their games.
So, despite the tough season for him individually, his numbers have been down across the board, he still is a valuable piece for the Sixers.
“I love Al,” said Ben Simmons on Saturday at All-Star media day. “Al’s the best. He’s been such a good leader and vet to us. We’re blessed to have him in our presence, just the way he carries himself. He’s a true pro.”
Horford has helped the Sixers the most on the defensive end. When Horford is on the floor with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Josh Richardson, the Sixers give up 97.5 points per 100 possessions which makes for an elite defense.
Horford and the Sixers now just have to continue to work out the kinks. Horford will have to adjust to a new role of coming off the bench and they will have to continue to find their groove offensively, but make no mistake that he is a big part of this team right now. [lawrence-related id=25910,25863,25903]