Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford Getting Back Up To Speed

It was never going to be an instant results situation, but slowly and surely Al Horford is beginning to look more like his old self for the Atlanta Hawks. Having torn his pectoral muscles on both sides in the space of three years, Horford was always going to approach his return with added caution this time around, and that makes perfect sense.

The first time the Dominican suffered the injury, he worked incredibly hard to get himself back on the court in a space of four to five months, making a couple of playoff appearances. This time around in spite of suffering the injury earlier in the season, that was never going to enter his mind.

Horford knew he had to be patient, take the time, and work doubly hard to ensure the most successful rehabilitation period possible.

In a recent piece with the Wall Street Journal, the 28-year-old revealed how this time around he made major adjustments during the recovery process.

Horford doesn’t necessarily work himself as hard as he did before, as much of the weights work that has been the core of his workout for years is no longer the best option for the conditioning of his upper body. Instead, Horford’s emphasis has moved closer towards effective warmups and yoga. Horford remarked:

"As soon as the first injury was feeling better, I started to work out hard and heavy again. Then I reinjured myself on the other side. That’s when I realized I had to make some modifications. No more bench press or heavy dumbbell biceps curls. I need to avoid anything that puts strain on my upper body."

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With it clear that he was going about his recovery in the right way off the court, the big question was always going to be when he’d make his return on it.

Throughout the summer and the early parts of preseason, Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer was always very coy when questioned about possible return dates, obviously wanting to avoid placing extra pressure on his star center.

As a result, when Horford did return, it caught most people off guard.

Budenholzer has gently reintroduced Horford back into the fray, and even now as he begins to approach a return to his normal nightly minutes mark, there’s still evidence of greater care from the Hawks coaching staff.

For example, it’s a common sight to see Horford be the first of the starters to go to the bench in the first quarter, as the team are clearly wary of overworking him. It’s a wise approach, and it looks like it’s starting to pay off as Horford’s game shapes up on the court again.

Purely by having him on the court, the Atlanta Hawks are a totally different prospect. Even though he isn’t fully back to peak condition just yet, Horford’s numbers are already impressive. Posting averages of 14.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists without fully performing at his best, highlights exactly what the Hawks were missing last season.

He’s a defensive difference maker too, as anchored by his high IQ the Hawks’ defense is a very different prospect. Add into the mix Horford’s 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals, and it’s clear he’s on the right track.

The one area which has seemed a little slower to return to the former Florida Gator is his patented mid-range game. For years Horford has been one of the NBA’s most lethal pick and pop guys.

With his return from injury, Horford showed a little trepidation in stepping away from the basket to shoot during both the preseason and early season games, but there are signs that that confidence is coming back to him now too.

All in all, Al Horford’s return is effectively like one of the biggest free agent signings of the summer, as when he gets back into full flow, the Atlanta Hawks are going to be incredibly tough to beat.

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