Philadelphia 76ers: Al Horford has Stood out to Brett Brown Recently

Year one with the Philadelphia 76ers hasn't exactly been ideal for the veteran big man, Al Horford. After inking a wealthy four-year deal with the Sixers, Horford was excited to join one of his former rivals. However, his fit alongside the two superstars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, raised questions at first. And throughout the year, we found out why.

Questions surrounding the fit between the three players mentioned above were proven to be warranted. And at a point, Brett Brown was left with no choice but to have Horford come off the bench midway through the year. Although Horford wasn't thrilled with his new role -- the idea worked -- but injuries made the situation short-lived.

Now that the Sixers are entirely healthy heading into the season's restart in Orlando, Brown is left with the same situation once again. And as he tests a starting lineup, which places Simmons at power forward, it seems Horford could see himself coming off the bench again when the postseason rolls around.

But that hasn't killed the veteran's spirit. A few practices into training camp 2.0 and Brown credits Horford for what he has put on display so far in practice. "What I've been most impressed with is [Al Horford] being vocal [and] his level of competitiveness," Brown stated on Tuesday before the team tipped off for another practice.

"There is a physicality, there is toughness, and there is a voice that you just feel," Brown continued. "We've played a fair bit of five on five trying to keep the group's spirit and perspective at a place that is realistic, and I feel like Al [Horford] has jumped into that environment in a significant way. I feel like his mood, spirit, toughness, his voice. . . he's been very physical in the games, and it has stood out to me." 

Throughout the year, Brown and the Sixers' front office continually made it clear that the addition of Al Horford was supposed to help the team become better suited for the playoffs. While Horford might not be thrilled to be excluded from the starting lineup, he understands the situation. And if his health holds up, and he remains physical and competitive, Horford could very much become the Sixers' 'X-factor' in this year's postseason.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_