Al Horford

[HMFFL]

I have been reading Boston fans expressing their upset all off-season and it's been amusing. I look forward to watching Boston take on Philly this season.

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[Jamaaliver]

I may have written AL off too soon. He looks great and would certainly be perfect at Center for our scrappy Hawks squad:

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[Jamaaliver]

Atlanta's only inclusion on the list...

Millsap was ranked #40.

Top 50 NBA Stars of the 2010s

Spoiler:

Methodology

I took the selection process (mostly) out of my own hands.

There are three key components to the rankings:

• Numbers Rank
• Fan Vote Rank
• Accolades Rank

Finally, all qualified players were ranked by "accolade points."

All-Star appearances and All-Defense selections within the decade earned a player one point. All-NBA selections and Defensive Player of the Year wins were worth two points. Regular-season and Finals MVPs were worth three points each.

29. Al Horford



Ranks: numbers (29); fan vote (33); accolades (32)

One of the steadiest players of the 2010s, Al Horford didn't have a season in which his team performed better when he was off the floor. Over the 10 combined seasons, his Hawks and Celtics were plus-4.8 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor and minus-0.2 with him off.

As Horford was working his way back to form after a torn pectoral in 2015, Grantland's Zach Lowe summarized his under-appreciated greatness:

"When he's healthy, Horford is a legitimate NBA superstar — a chameleon who is good at everything, great at some things, and always flying beneath the radar. He doesn't pile up insane numbers, hog the ball, or appear in national TV commercials. He is concerned only with winning, even if the path there involves sacrificing shots to focus on passing, setting good picks, and battling 7-footers under the basket."

"He is our cornerstone," then-Atlanta teammate Kyle Korver said. "His example—it's what the Hawks are. Or what we're trying to be."

Horford's unselfishness on both ends of the floor was contagious. When Atlanta went 60-22 in 2014-15, he averaged 15.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.9 assists. He earned his third All-Star appearance of the decade (he'd eventually claim a total of five).

In his three seasons with the Celtics, he became even more of a point center, averaging 4.6 assists and initiating Boston's offense from all over the floor.

That wasn't the only way he embraced the shifting nature of his position. Horford also averaged 1.2 threes and shot 38.2 percent from deep with Boston.

Chameleon is a perfect descriptor for him, then and now. With his wide-ranging set of skills, he can blend within any team structure and provide whatever is needed.

Bleacher Report

[HMFFL]

I may have written AL off too soon. He looks great and would certainly be perfect at Center for our scrappy Hawks squad:

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It looked good running the court but I happened to catch his missed shots. However, he's moving well for his age, and Philly will benefit greatly once the postseason arrives.

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[Jamaaliver]

If we could get Horford for nothing this summer, I would consider bringing him back as a short term fix at Center and as a locker room leader.

How the Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with Al Horford's awkward fit

constructing an argument for or against Horford's fit in Philadelphia often comes back to the same point: how he's being used.

In the six seasons prior to signing with the Sixers --- split evenly between the Hawks and Celtics --- Horford was a pick-and-roll screener 22 or more times per game each season, peaking at 25 times per game, per Second Spectrum's tracking data.

This season? Horford is down to 16 per game -- and that's including the recent nine-game stretch Embiid sat out recently after undergoing surgery on his left ring finger, in which Horford saw a far steadier diet of pick-and-roll chances than he had previously.

So, with fewer pick-and-roll opportunities, Horford has instead been relegated to standing on the perimeter to stretch the floor and be a threat in catch-and-shoot situations -- a necessity on a team as shooting-starved as the Sixers are.

Because of that, Horford's catch-and-shoot opportunities are coming about as frequently as in the past for him. But the results are very different so far.

This is the first season in Horford's past seven that his effective field goal percentage has dipped below what's expected of the average shooter taking those shots, according to Second Spectrum's metrics. In other words, the shots Horford normally makes at a high rate are not dropping this season.

Horford's take on his shaky shooting is that after spending so many years playing a specific way, shifting to a different one has made for a difficult adjustment.

"I mean, I'm not even close to my [number of] pick-and-rolls that I [used to] run. ... For me, as a 3-point shooter and as a player, that's how you get your rhythm a lot of the time."

Clearly Horford has needed time to adjust to his new role. And that, in turn, provides hope that Horford -- a cerebral player -- will eventually grow more comfortable with what's being asked of him.

ESPN UK

[tbhawksfan1]

Why not. Have to do Something about the C position for next season which should NOT be another tank. Horf could be a perfect fill in while we develop/find the long-term solution. Rather keep him a year or two cheap than brinks truck KAT

[Jamaaliver]

76ers coach Brett Brown says he still has faith in Al Horford

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When Philadelphia signed AL Horford away from the Boston Celtics this past summer as a free agent, bestowing upon him a four-year deal worth $100 million, the hope was that he could both buoy the team when Joel Embiid went to the bench and play alongside him for significant stretches. The first part of that has actually worked out rather well.

But playing alongside Embiid? That has been a disaster.

Thursday night's game might have been the low point of Horford's tenure in Philadelphia. In the wake of benching him in the final game before the All-Star break and playing him just 18 ineffective minutes Thursday, Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown declared Friday afternoon that he still has faith in the four-time All-Star big man, saying, "I want to help him help us."

Spoiler:

After spending the past decade serving as one of the NBA's most versatile big men, he told ESPN last month that the adjustment to playing alongside Embiid and adjusting to downsized opportunities when they share the floor -- specifically being used as a spot-up shooter to try to give Embiid more room to operate in the post -- has been a difficult one.

It is also why Horford has looked much more like his prior self with the Celtics and Atlanta Hawks when he has been paired with Ben Simmons in the minutes while spelling Embiid at center.

"Yeah, I mean, it is definitely different for me," Horford told ESPN. "It's almost like me continuing to reinvent myself, and trying to figure out other ways that I can be effective."

Horford's struggles led to calls in Philadelphia for him to be replaced in the starting lineup long before Brown actually did it last week. And, after doing so, Brown indicated that Horford won't be returning to the starting five anytime soon.

ESPN

[atlantabbq99]

I've said Horford has been washed up and overrated since 3 years ago. I don't understand how a 6 rebound per game center can be classified as dominate, but Boston fan did it anyways.

I thought it was the end of Horford 3 years ago, but even Horford's biggest fan have to admit that it is officially the end of Al. Maybe he can reinvent himself like Dwight but he will be ring chasing and getting alot of bench time from now until he calls it quites.

I love seeing this happen to him, one of the most hated Hawks in franchise history.

[Jamaaliver]

Every Team's MVP of the Last Decade

Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford, C



Years: 2010-2016

Games Rank: 4th

Points Rank: 2nd

Win Shares Rank: 1st

Making three All-Stars Games in his six years with the Hawks since 2010-11, Horford helped lead Atlanta to the playoffs in all of his seasons.

He finished with 8.2 more win shares than the next-closest Hawk over the past decade (Jeff Teague, 32.9), although Teague has scored more points and played in the most games of any Atlanta player.

In his 349 games for the Hawks this decade, Horford finished with averages of 15.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and shot 53.8 percent from the field.

Bleacher Report

[atlantabbq99]

Horford's poor performance in the playoffs the last two years for the Celtics shows that he is not worth any sort of sizable contract.

At this point of his career, Horford is just a very good fifth option or very good bench player.

Horford officially becomes the worst contract in the NBA, $100 million for 10ppg and 6rpg.

Sixers will need to attach two 1st round picks if they want to get rid of Al

[Jamaaliver]

Alas poor Alfred,

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[HMFFL]

The 76ers are sending Al Horford, a lightly protected 2025 first-round pick and their 2020 second-round pick to the Thunder in exchange for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson.

Horford simply didn't work out alongside Joel Embiid in Philly, but he could have a bit of a resurgence in OKC, as he should see quality minutes as their starting PF. This also makes it seem highly unlikely that Danilo Gallinari will be retained by the Thunder. Green will bring some defense and shooting to Philly, but he's past his days of relevancy in fantasy hoops. 

RELATED: 

Danilo Gallinari

SOURCE: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter

Nov 18, 2020, 5:19 PM ET



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[HMFFL]

2020-21: $27,500,000
2021-22: $27,000,000
2022-23: $26,500,000 {Non-Guaranteed}

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[HMFFL]

OKC did a fantastic job trading DC to LA and flipping Danny Green. Great return value.

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[Jamaaliver]

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If Horford was to be bought out, would you like him being back here ?

Absolutely

H3ll, yes!!!

Secondary playmaker, floor spacer, strong team defender, locker room leader.

AL angered a ton of fans when he walked away in Free Agency; but he is still a solid contributor and could help this team immensely down the stretch of the season.

[tbhawksfan1]

Why would they buy him out? My understanding is that they are going to sit him the rest of the season

[dms269]

AL angered a ton of fans when he walked away in Free Agency; but he is still a solid contributor and could help this team immensely down the stretch of the season.

it wasn't just him walking away in free agency, but his dad bashing us as fans and his sister cussing us out. Not worth the headache.

[Spud2nique]

No Anna ever!!! You not welcomed!

[Jamaaliver]

AL's back...

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[HMFFL]

AL's back...

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OKC has HOW MANY first round picks now? My gosh

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