If there were one player whom the Hawks couldn’t afford to lose, it probably is Al Horford, Atlanta’s two-time All-Star center. So the news that Horford is out with a shoulder injury for three to four months — effectively the remainder of the regular season — is downright crushing news.
It’s unexpected news, too.
“I’m still surprised,” said Horford, who’s averaging 13 points and 7.5 rebounds. “I was hoping that it was a sprain and I could rehab it for a few weeks and come back.”
He plans to get a second opinion, but either way, surgery is likely required, which means the Hawks will be without The Boss for much longer than they’d like and maybe longer than their playoff hopes can handle.
Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Horford form the Atlanta’s “Big Three.” Each brings his own value and set of skills that the Hawks, always a solid playoff team but not quite elite, can’t really do without. Johnson is the squad’s go-to scorer, Atlanta’s clear-out option (“Iso-Joe” is what the fans half-sarcastically call him). Smith is the do-it-all Swiss Army dude. He catches alley-oops, blocks shots, pressures the ball, leads the break — whatever Atlanta needs.
And then there’s Horford.
The Hawks always have been thin up front – that’s why the barely 6-foot-10 Horford has played his full career in Atlanta at center, even though his more natural position (by his and most opinions) probably is power forward. Zaza Pachulia and Jason Collins are the big guys behind Horford on the depth chart. They hustle, that’s for sure, but they don’t rate too high on the skills chart. So this “no Al” thing is an issue.
“He brings something very unique to the table,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said before Thursday’s 111-81 win over the Bobcats, still picking up the mental pieces. “He has the size where he can play two positions. He’s very versatile and very mobile on the floor. A big strength of his game is he can pick-n-pop and you can always post him up. He’s going to certainly be missed.”
And it’s not just his play on the court. Johnson is probably the quietest All-Star in the league. He can go full games without uttering more than a few sentences. Smith has a reputation (probably only half-deserved) as a bit of a live wire. The Hawks have been described as rudderless more than a few times. It’s in this environment that Horford always has stood out as a stabilizing presence and voice.
“His leadership and presence out on the court is certainly felt,” Drew said. “And you can see how the guys react and I think that’s going to be sorely missed. He’s kind of the glue for us. He’s a stabilizer. He’s a guy that huddles the team, that talks in the huddle. He’s not afraid to call people out. He’s a leader. The guys respect him.”
It’s unexpected news, too.
“I’m still surprised,” said Horford, who’s averaging 13 points and 7.5 rebounds. “I was hoping that it was a sprain and I could rehab it for a few weeks and come back.”
He plans to get a second opinion, but either way, surgery is likely required, which means the Hawks will be without The Boss for much longer than they’d like and maybe longer than their playoff hopes can handle.
Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Horford form the Atlanta’s “Big Three.” Each brings his own value and set of skills that the Hawks, always a solid playoff team but not quite elite, can’t really do without. Johnson is the squad’s go-to scorer, Atlanta’s clear-out option (“Iso-Joe” is what the fans half-sarcastically call him). Smith is the do-it-all Swiss Army dude. He catches alley-oops, blocks shots, pressures the ball, leads the break — whatever Atlanta needs.
And then there’s Horford.
The Hawks always have been thin up front – that’s why the barely 6-foot-10 Horford has played his full career in Atlanta at center, even though his more natural position (by his and most opinions) probably is power forward. Zaza Pachulia and Jason Collins are the big guys behind Horford on the depth chart. They hustle, that’s for sure, but they don’t rate too high on the skills chart. So this “no Al” thing is an issue.
“He brings something very unique to the table,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said before Thursday’s 111-81 win over the Bobcats, still picking up the mental pieces. “He has the size where he can play two positions. He’s very versatile and very mobile on the floor. A big strength of his game is he can pick-n-pop and you can always post him up. He’s going to certainly be missed.”
And it’s not just his play on the court. Johnson is probably the quietest All-Star in the league. He can go full games without uttering more than a few sentences. Smith has a reputation (probably only half-deserved) as a bit of a live wire. The Hawks have been described as rudderless more than a few times. It’s in this environment that Horford always has stood out as a stabilizing presence and voice.
“His leadership and presence out on the court is certainly felt,” Drew said. “And you can see how the guys react and I think that’s going to be sorely missed. He’s kind of the glue for us. He’s a stabilizer. He’s a guy that huddles the team, that talks in the huddle. He’s not afraid to call people out. He’s a leader. The guys respect him.”
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