NBA Christmas Edition: Top 5 Players At Each Position Thus Far This Season

Dec 8, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is guarded by Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Golden State defeats Indiana 131-123. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is guarded by Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Golden State defeats Indiana 131-123. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
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Dec 21, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Trail Blazers 106-97. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Trail Blazers 106-97. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5 C: Al Horford

Height: 6’10” Weight: 245 Lbs. Wingspan: 7’1″ Standing Reach: 8’11”
Raw Stats: 15.0 PPG 7.0 RPG 3.0 APG 1.4 BPG 0.533 2FG% 0.319 3FG% 0.830 FT% 0.544 TS%
PER: 19.5
WS/48: 0.139
VORP: 1.1
RPM: 2.93 ORPM: 1.65 DRPM: 1.28
Team Record: 18-12

While is numbers have remained almost identical, Al Horford has yet to replicate the same type of impact he infused last season, when he was perhaps the chief reason for, and the primary engine to, the Atlanta Hawks’ surprising 60-win campaign.

This year, Horford has tried to extend his range out beyond the NBA 3-point line, tripling his attempts from last year, but below the league’s median for 3-point efficiency. More importantly, however, such an experiment has taken Al away from what he does best: picking teams apart with his from 16-20 feet via the pick-and-pop game.

More hoops habit: How Well Will Carmelo Age?

Although in theory, adding that extra point sounds enticing, for Horford’s specific case, he’s such an effective mid-range shooter that he may just be better off sticking to his bread and butter.

Honorable Mentions: Tim Duncan, Hassan Whiteside (stats have outweighed impact), Brook Lopez, DeAndre Jordan, and Dwight Howard (injuries and steep decline on D).