Al Horford: Atlanta Hawks’ catalyst for deep playoff run
By John Buhler
Al Horford‘s play of late has been a great boost for the Atlanta Hawks’ frontcourt. Should his excellence continue, will Atlanta get back to the 2016 ECF?
Entering Monday night, the Atlanta Hawks are in fourth place in the tight Eastern Conference standings, 4.5 games back of the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and 0.5 a game ahead of the Miami Heat for first place in the Southeast Division.
Atlanta still has a ton to prove in 2016, but it seems that the club has found its identity with strong play from its frontcourt. Paul Millsap has been an All-NBA caliber player at power forward all season and should easily make his third straight All-Star game as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. Kent Bazemore‘s ascendance has made his more than an adequate replacement for DeMarre Carroll at small forward. At 26 years old, his ceiling is still incredibly.
However what the Atlanta Hawks will need should they want to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals is that their starting frontcourt needs to remain dominant at all three positions, now that the starting backcourt has essentially regressed. Over the last two weeks, we have seen the necessary rise of Al Horford once again at center for the Atlanta Hawks. His outstanding play of late should keep the Atlanta Hawks as the biggest obstacle for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
More from Atlanta Hawks
- Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
- Atlanta Hawks Look to Continue Momentum Tonight Against Portland
- Joel Embiid Leads Sixers Over Hawks On Monday Night
- Atlanta Hawks: John Collins Playing His Best Basketball Of Season
- Atlanta Hawks Win Second Straight Against the Dallas Mavericks
Al Horford is a three-time NBA All-Star, has made an All-NBA team before, and is in the final year of his contract with the Atlanta Hawks. He, along with the Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, will enter 2016 NBA Free Agency as the league’s three theoretically best available players. However, all likely will re-sign with their respective clubs, probably to one-year deals to prepare for when the NBA Salary Cap explodes in Summer 2017.
Over the last eight seasons, we’ve seen Al Horford stand as one of the games biggest mismatches at center. He has the body of a traditional power forward, but has had to play out of position his entire NBA career as an undersized center. His improved outside shot and his lateral quickness have made Horford one of the most difficult big men to defend on the offensive end of the floor. He’s become a fantastic stretch five for the Atlanta Hawks.
However, Al Horford does have frustrating games for the Atlanta Hawks. He will gravitate to his mid-range set shot at times and not help his team on the glass in some games, especially against bigger and physically imposing frontcourts. While his smooth stroke from mid-range can give the Hawks’ lift on offensive most games, when his shot isn’t falling the offense can sputter with little to no inside game from the team.
To me, what has been the best part of his play of late isn’t his 30 point games against the Houston Rockets or the Chicago Bulls; it has been his commitment to excellence on the glass, recording at least nine rebounds in five of the Hawks’ last six games.
During this six-game stretch, Al Horford has had four double-doubles and was only a few assists shy of two triple-doubles. Horford’s play post-Christmas has bonded well with the great play of Paul Millsap and the rise of Kent Bazemore to give Atlanta arguably the best starting frontcourt in the Eastern Conference.
In those two 30+ point games for Al Horford, they were remarkable given the opponents they came against. Houston is a physical team down low and nobody is deeper in the frontcourt in the East than the Chicago Bulls. What essentially happened is that Horford’s unique skill set on offense was too much for the Rockets or Bulls to handle. Being willing to combat on the boards against the bruisers of Houston and Chicago bodes well for Horford and the Hawks should a deep playoff run again be on the horizon in 2016.
Next: Atlanta Hawks bully Chicago Bulls, 120-105
Teams that can play small ball like the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks do limit what Al Horford does on the court, but there isn’t a team in the East that could finish ahead of the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Standings that should limit his effectiveness come playoff time. Unless the backcourt improves, the Atlanta Hawks’ best chance to play in the Eastern Conference Finals again in 2016 is to use Al Horford to their advantage as an ultimate mismatch at the five for most of the East.