Philadelphia 76ers: 3 players who could benefit most from hiatus

2. Al Horford

Al Horford falls in the same vein as Mike Scott. No one on this list was both healthy and in the middle of a good season. There’s no benefit to a three-month break if you were perfectly fine beforehand. Horford’s season certainly wasn’t “good” prior to the break, and he was in need of a reset as much as anyone in basketball.

Prior to this season, Horford was a borderline top-20 player and a perennial All-Star candidate. He was the sole reason Boston had the edge over Philadelphia the past two years, and his status as a thorn in the Sixers’ side is precisely why Elton Brand wanted him.

The Horford experiment has been nothing short of a disaster in Philadelphia, and unfortunately, the Sixers signed up for the deluxe four-year experience — not a test drive. Horford has struggled to find a home in Brett Brown’s offense, and the defense hasn’t been any better. He has never looked more his age.

A major reason for Horford’s ineptitude this season is the abysmal fit, which the Sixers can’t do much about at this point. Even so, it’s fair to suggest Horford has a better version of himself locked away somewhere, and perhaps a three-month break — at the ripe age of 34 — gives him some time to unlock it.

Horford has the ability to step up in the postseason. We’ve seen it in Atlanta and Boston. Maybe, just maybe, he shows up to Orlando a changed man.