Horford would be OK with any postseason role
PHILADELPHIA » Even with four months to tidy every basketball issue, the Sixers will have a major one hovering as they return to camp. They will have to decide how to use Al Horford.
Acquired as a free agent mostly for his veteran savvy and proven ability to play his best in the postseason, Horford was envisioned as an alternate center should Joel Embiid ever need physical therapy or load management. But for the $109 million contract they gave him, they were hesitant to bring him off the bench.
So as the NBA ramps back up after a four-month retreat amid health concerns, Brett Brown must decide whether to continue to ram Horford into a frontcourt in which he has seemed uncomfortable alongside Embiid.
If it helps, Horford Friday promised not to cause an uproar either way.
“For me, I just want us to be playing at a high level,” Horford said, in a Zoom call with basketball writers. “And I am going to continue to work and try to assist the team any way I can. I do want us to be successful. So it really doesn’t matter to me.”
Horford has played in 60 games, starting all but three. While he never seemed particularly joyful when he was scratched from the starting lineup, he was certain to remain professional.
In recent games, he has come to appear more comfortable on the floor with Embiid. But with
Ben Simmons having been cured of a back ailment, and with Shake Milton becoming difficult to dislodge from the lineup, Brown may elect to bring Horford off the bench in the postseason.
Because it’s the way it is, that will ignite discussion.
But it might also ignite success.
“I am all-in,” Horford said. “It really doesn’t matter. I think if it is going to benefit all of us, and especially with Ben being healthy now and being able to have an impact, I don’t think that stuff is going to matter too much, in my opinion.” Horford is averaging 12 points, his lowest output since his 11.5-point average in 2008, his second NBA season. He has shot just a disappointing 33.7 percent from three-point range. Yet he is rested and has adjusted to playing multiple positions. As for that large investment, which would keep Horford a Sixer through the 2023 season, much of it was due to his postseason value. With eight regular-season games remaining, and the Sixers already assured of a playoff spot, Horford may yet have made his post important contributions. “Before the season stopped, we had some positives,” Horford said. “We got it going there. Then, Ben’s future was uncertain. Now, he’s good to go. We have our full team and our full roster. I believe our group is built for the playoffs. “The regular season is always tough, with players trying to mesh. But I believe this is a second chance for us and a great opportunity.” The Sixers having had their preferred starting lineup together for 19 games, Horford is convinced their versatility will make them dangerous. “It depends on matchups and things like that,” Horford said. “For me, it’s about being in a position to make plays. We rely on Ben to do a lot of that. For me, it comes with reaction, with the ball moving and getting the ball off a screen, and getting other guys involved and other guys playing. “I do believe that will be a strength of our group.”