Philadelphia 76ers: Who is the team’s third-best player?

Al Horford

At first glance, I would expect most people to say Al Horford. I couldn’t fault you for that either, but you’re wrong. Horford is a five-time All-Star, former Defensive Player of the Year finalist, and a member of the 2018 All-Defense second-team. Let’s not get caught up in past accolades though and focus on the present.

After signing a four-year $109 million contract, to join the 76ers this offseason, Horford is averaging 12.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists per game while posting .442/.337/.753 shooting splits through 60 games this season. His 52.6 true shooting percentage is a career-low, and his 15.6 Player Efficiency Rating is the lowest its been since he posted a 14.7 PER his rookie season.

He’s no Nikola Jokic, but Horford is one of the few big men in the NBA whom a coach can rely on to initiate half-court sets and run an offense from the key.

His real value to the team doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score. You would have to look at the roster holistically and some advanced statistics for that.

Always known as a hard worker and a consummate professional, Horford’s veteran presence in the locker room with ten players who have less than five years of NBA experience is undeniably priceless. He has the ability to assist in the development of young bigs such as Jonah Bolden as well as teach the younger guys how to conduct themselves as professionals.

He can protect the paint as well as switch onto smaller guards on the perimeter. While Horford may not block as many shots as he used to (0.9 blocks per game matches career-low from 2007-2008 rookie campaign), he still makes it very difficult for opposing players to put the ball in the hoop, as evidenced by his 46.3 opponent’s field goal percentage. His 2.5 defensive win shares ranks third on the team right behind Tobias Harris’ 2.6.

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Also, despite is putting up pedestrian numbers, Horford’s presence allows the Sixers to give Embiid a break without missing much on defense. The former first-round pick is one of the smartest defenders in the league, reliable in the pick-and-roll game on both sides of the ball, and can still go out and get after it in transition despite being 33 years old.

There’s no arguing that Al Horford is still an impactful player who can bring a lot to a team, but unless he builds a time machine to take him back to the 2017-2018 season, he is simply not the player he once was.

The Sixers cannot rely upon Horford to be that consistent third option they need to shatter the ceiling the team has seemed to reach and make an appearance in the NBA finals.