Is there something Sixers fans aren’t considering when it comes to Al Horford?
With a much-needed win the other night against the San Antonio Spurs, the Philadelphia 76ers’ most important shot of the game came from Shake Milton. Yet, the most important decision that made that play possible came from a much-maligned player not named Shake.
Since his arrival last summer, Al Horford has been placed in a box by numerous doubters. His role and effectiveness have been criticized. His fit has been questioned. His age and diminished mobility hang over his head like a drone ready to drop a bomb on his career. What gets overlooked often, though, is his experience and willingness to do what’s best for the team without needing the spotlight.
I must admit, when Horford played for Atlanta and Boston, I was underwhelmed. To see him make an All-Star team with pedestrian numbers made me roll my eyes. How could he be among the most elite athletes and superstars in the NBA? The joke about Horford making the All-Star team was that whatever he lacked in flash and style, he compensated for by setting superb screens for his teammates.
Once he became a Sixer, I embraced him as the player who could keep the team afloat when Embiid rested. I appreciated the fact that he always seemed like the consummate professional, unconcerned about popularity and standing out.
As insinuated earlier, Horford is not your prototypical All-Star. When it comes to endorsements, instead of Gatorade commercials, he landed the ever-so-coveted chocolate milk ad. Horford got, not Pepsi, not Coke, not even Powerade. Instead, he became one of the few faces of the smooth and refreshing taste of chocolate milk. Did the Sixers need that kind of star though, coming into the season?
Versus the Spurs
Fast forward to the Disney bubble — although he did not put up prolific numbers against San Antonio on Monday night, Horford did have a solid game as a reserve, contributing on offense and defense. He put up 32 minutes, scored nine points, grabbed six rebounds, dished three assists, and had two blocks, leading the team in the +/- category (+17).
I know what you’re thinking. Those are chocolate milk numbers. Why should he be paid tens of millions for chocolate milk numbers? Clearly, he didn’t dominate like Embiid. He wasn’t as impactful as Tobias Harris. All he did was use veteran experience and quick decision-making skills that would lead to the biggest shot of the night.
Let’s dissect why Horford’s value cannot be tethered to strictly numbers at this point.
With 10 seconds on the clock and down by two points, Shake Milton was set to inbound the ball. Embiid was already in position down low, ready to receive the pass. Milton’s defender, Dejounte Murray, was helping Jakob Poeltl, denying any clear reception. Milton inbounded the ball to Horford at the 3-point line, who seemed inclined to lob the ball to Embiid.
That lone second to evaluate the situation is what makes Al Horford so valuable to this team. He knew that Josh Richardson’s man was locked in on the potential lob to Embiid on the weak side. Even Shake Milton’s defender sagged so low to crowd the 76ers’ center that when Milton stepped in after the pass, there was a good 10 feet between him and Murray. If Ben Simmons had not fouled out, perhaps he would’ve received the pass from Milton. And knowing Ben, he quite possibly would have tried to force the ball down low and caused a turnover.
As fate would have it, Simmons was on the bench as a spectator, while Horford drew on his experience and decided to make the best play of the night — well, at least the best pass. Horford did a quick fake pass to Embiid and dished it to Shake Milton for the assist of the night. When the ball went through the net, Milton’s redemption seemed instant, and the Sixers took the final lead. And they had chocolate milk to thank for it.
What we must accept
Sure, Horford is the most expensive bench player in the league, but plays like the one he made against the Spurs with a pass to Milton for the game winner is what makes him so valuable to this team. Then, there are plays like the impeccable screen he set in Portland earlier in the season that allowed Furkan Korkmaz to get open for a game-winning shot.
Horford’s game may not be the sexiest in the league. His numbers will never amount to the millions he makes. Yet, his veteran experience and willingness to do the little things is what we need to accept.
If we are willing to be patient, adjust our expectations, and be content with chocolate milk instead of Gatorade, Al Horford could be the most important piece to the 76ers’ puzzle, unfavorable contract or not.