Philadelphia 76ers: Al Horford could thrive without Ben Simmons

Without Ben Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers may finally squeeze more value out of Al Horford.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Friday night win over Orlando was another rocky all-around performance. The end result was favorable, but how the Sixers got there was less than ideal. The halfcourt offense was a slog, and Ben Simmons‘ absence was felt on both ends. Even so, there were plenty of positives to take away — not to mention a third consecutive W in the record books.

One of the biggest positives was Al Horford, who was reinserted into the starting five to replace Simmons. He scored 21 points — which feels almost alien at this point — and grabbed nine rebounds in 30 minutes. It was a productive evening for the $109 million man.

Horford looked spry on defense. He held his own against Nikola Vucevic, he blocked a James Ennis 3-point attempt, and on multiple occasions, he helped to swarm Orlando on the perimeter. Offensively, he capitalized on his size advantage, which hasn’t happened often enough this season.

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The 2019-20 campaign has been long and arduous for Horford. It’s clear age has finally won out, and he’s no longer the All-Star center/forward Philadelphia thought they were signing. Even so, the Sixers can still get value out of Horford when he’s used properly. Personnel has prevented them from using him properly all season, but the absence of Simmons — who is set to undergo potentially season-ending knee surgery — opens up new opportunities for Horford.

Without Simmons, the Sixers have more chances to take advantage of Horford’s proficiency in the pick-and-roll. He’s a whip-smart decision maker who poses a fairly versatile threat — he can pop to the 3-point line, roll hard to the rim, or pass on the move. For all he has lost athletically, Horford is still a smart player who knows how to execute sound offensive possessions.

He can also receive more touches at the elbows, where the Sixers have tried to incorporate Simmons more frequently since arriving in Orlando. A deadly mid-range shooter and a highly unselfish ball-mover, Horford can still do damage from the teeth of the defense.

What was most on display in Friday night’s win, however, was the high-low action between Horford and Joel Embiid. The Magic were undersized at power forward — 6-foot-6 Gary Clark drew the initial Horford assignment — so Embiid had little issue spacing to the free-throw line extended and rocketing passes to a posted-up Horford.

Horford has been essentially forced out of the post by Embiid and Simmons this season. With Simmons no longer in the mix, Philadelphia can make a greater effort to leverage Horford’s skill set. It also, more plainly, means more touches and greater confidence for the 34-year-old.

If the Sixers wish to compete in the East, Horford will need to play a big part. The Simmons injury likely spells doom, but on the off chance Philadelphia does compete for a conference title, it will probably involve a resurgence of sorts for Horford. The Sixers have seen Horford work his playoff magic first-hand in the past.

Am I confident in Horford as the full-time starter in Simmons’ absence? Of course not. We all have a solid understanding of Horford as a player in 2020, and he probably won’t reach anything resembling the All-Star levels of his past.

That said, he has been mostly okay in the bubble, and he’s not as egregiously bad as some would have you believe. With Simmons out, Horford will have an opportunity to lean into his strengths and carry a bigger torch offensively. This could be good for him individually.