Ben Simmons, Brett Brown Praise Al Horford After Sunday's Scrimmage
With Joel Embiid injured and out of the lineup on Sunday, the Philadelphia 76ers started Al Horford at the center position for the team's second scrimmage game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Horford in the starting lineup is something we've seen more often than not throughout the 2019-2020 NBA season.
While there were times Horford struggled, the veteran big man never lost confidence in himself. And despite being sent back into a role to come off the bench when Embiid is healthy, Horford's courage never took a hit, and that showed during Sunday's scrimmage.
"He had a spirit about him," said Sixers head coach Brett Brown following the game. "He had a confidence, playing. He was communicative on defense, playing. He played. He really played. Like he came in, and it's true, you pay attention to his three-point shots that stand out the most, but I thought overall he was a great voice behind all the things we were doing -- and was really good in the timeouts."
Throughout the year, Horford garnered tons of criticism due to his struggles from shooting beyond the arc. Early on during Sunday's scrimmage against the Thunder, Horford had Sixers fans rolling their eyes as he air-balled a three while shaking the rust off. Shortly after, though, the veteran big man flipped a switch -- and Horford ended up finishing the game with 13 points, knocking down three of his four three-point attempts. After the game, Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons was the least bit surprised.
"That's Al," Simmons said. "That's what he does. He's a great player, team-first guy, his IQ on the court is amazing; he knows how to play the game well. Defensively, he can move his feet, so having him here has been great. We're only getting better and more confident, and our chemistry is getting a lot better the more we play."
As long as Embiid is healthy and on the court for the Sixers, Al Horford will likely come off the bench as the team's backup center. After seeing his performance as the team's starting center on Sunday, though, the 76ers are likely feeling quite confident with their current situation at center in terms of the depth and value that they have with Horford on the squad this season.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
