Philadelphia 76ers: Al Horford’s slow week in context

The Philadelphia 76ers’ big offseason acquisition was a mixed bag all week.

The Philadelphia 76ers went on a three-game losing streak this past week, including the team’s first two home losses of the 2019-20 season. One factor behind the Sixers’ struggles was Al Horford, who looked a half-step slow in each loss.

For Horford, slow nights — even slow weeks — are to be expected. He’s 33, and the Sixers’ priority is winning games in spring, not at Christmas. Home court is a goal for Philadelphia, but the endgame is a later date.

During the losing streak, Horford posted lowly averages of 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on .397/.154/.000 shooting splits — not a single trip to the free throw line. He managed over 30 minutes just once, and appeared in 24 minutes despite no injury designation in the Sixers’ loss to Dallas.

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Short story short, Horford was bad on all fronts. He looked a step slow on defense, which meant the system crumpled whenever Joel Embiid sat. Rather than providing a reliable backstop in relief, the Sixers’ desire to funnel shots to the middle was ruined by quick-twitch guards in the Spencer Dinwiddie and Kendrick Nunn vein.

On the offensive end, Horford struggled to hit shots, looked incapable of exploiting size advantages inside, and even made uncharacteristic turnovers — lazy passes, stripped balls, and more of the sort. It was not a characteristic week for the multiple-time All-Star.

For some, it was enough to induce panic — a sense of unease around Horford and his pricey contract. To a degree, such concern is reasonable, if not necessary. The Sixers took a risk in signing Horford to a long-term deal. It’s essential to keep a close eye on his health as well as his performance level.

For the most part, however, panic is unwarranted. The Sixers’ three-game losing streak coincided with Horford’s return from a two-game absence, brought on by hamstring and knee aches. For someone at Horford’s age, it’s bound to take time for both knee and hamstring ailments to subside.

The Sixers are still 21-10 following Sunday night’s win over Washington — firmly in the Eastern Conference’s crowded race for the No. 2 seed. It was a rough week, Horford a big part of it, but nothing to drop Philadelphia out of potential title contention. Nothing to warrant a massive overhaul in philosophy when it comes to evaluating the Sixers’ 2020 outlook.

Philadelphia is a team of new pieces and ill-fitted stars. In the ideal timeline, the pieces gradually coalesce, and whatever offensive deficiencies remain are offset by a top-flight defense. The Sixers are tantalizingly close to such a status as it stands.

Horford, for all the criticism lobbed his direction, has still managed a solid season. He has had more than flashes of his All-Star talent, and his defense — when right — helps Philadelphia survive Embiid’s rest.

He was bad this week, no doubt. But it’s not dire. Not something to trigger a mass revaluation of where the Sixers stand. As Horford accrues rest days and increased health, he will regress to the mean. Sunday’s win over Washington, on a holistic scale, was a step back in the right direction for the Sixers.