Horford speaks

[Eddielives]

You, Al and his father are the only people who thinks he's the "man".

Wow. You just put me in my place with that brilliant statement. I'm not gonna try to debate with you. YOU DA MAN!!! Not Al, Josh or Joe. It's you baby! You all day long.

[Eddielives]

Never heard Joe complaining about playin the 2 or the 3. Never heard Josh complaining about playin the 3 or the 4. Never heard Hinrich complaining about playin the 1 or the 2. And never heard Jamal(who is not a pg), complain about playin the 2 or the 1. Just sayin. I like Horford, but just play ball man. How bout hitting the weight room and working on your post game. And btw, if you ever want to be an allstar again, better keep playin center. Just my 2 cents.

But I have heard Joe complain about the fans. I have heard Josh complain to the refs and his coaches about what they expect out of him. Hinrich I don't know enough about yet. Jamal, well he was complaining about his contract situation a while back. You know I heard something today that made a lot of sense. A sports team often is a reflection of the ownership. I think that applies to the Hawks and the now sold Thrashers. Like the ASG, this team is not on the same page. You have Jamal playing point guard a little too much. You have Josh the headcase. YOu have Horford now making it clear he's tired of playing center and this team needs size and rebounding to get better. You have Joe who just gets paid and gets worse as the years go on. We are a reflection of the ASG. Kind of a big mess who can't get together and look at the benefit of the team.

Edited June 2, 2011 by Eddielives

[hawkman]

But I have heard Joe complain about the fans. I have heard Josh complain to the refs and his coaches about what they expect out of him. Hinrich I don't know enough about yet. Jamal, well he was complaining about his contract situation a while back. You know I heard something today that made a lot of sense. A sports team often is a reflection of the ownership. I think that applies to the Hawks and the now sold Thrashers. Like the ASG, this team is not on the same page. You have Jamal playing point guard a little too much. You have Josh the headcase. YOu have Horford now making it clear he's tired of playing center and this team needs size and rebounding to get better. You have Joe who just gets paid and gets worse as the years go on. We are a reflection of the ASG. Kind of a big mess who can't get together and look at the benefit of the team.

Well if these guys (players/coaches/ownership) can't get it together, it's time to blow this thing up and start over. I mean new ownership, coaching staff, and players. The culture needs to be changed.This team is getting a little frustrating to watch. It's not even that the Hawks are a bad team, it's the fact that they can be so much better with the players in place but there's no solidarity or clear focus. Every single one of our 'core' players has a different idea of how they can better help the team and they are ALL wrong. How is that possible?

-Joe thinks he should have the ball more while continuing to 'wait' on the double team

-Josh shooting from the outside regardless of the shot clock or game situation or the crowd begging him not to

-Horf now lobbying for a 'blue collar' guy. HE IS THE BLUE COLLAR GUY!

LD was literally pleading with these guys to play the right way during each and every timeout he was mic'd up for, and all of these issues continued throughout the Playoffs. I'm tired of the offseason rhetoric from some of the players and from the ASG/Sund. I'm tired of deciding whether it's an ineffective coach or just stubborn players. If this continues into next season, just blow it up and start over.

[TRUEINTELLECTPLAYA]

We still need a Center for all the people that want to jump on Al for saying that. Joe and the current way he plays and conducts himself with his teammates is not the leader we need for people jumping on Al for that. Somebody will most likely have to go to get that Center for people jumping on Al for that. All that said, I would like to see Al work with Hakeem this summer along with putting on 10 to 12 pounds.

[NineOhTheRino]

I'm honestly starting to think Al Horford is the locker room cancer. :negative: :training:

He's always been a bit of a drama queen. Now he seems to be morphing into a locker room lawyer.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

The question is . . how do we get the type of center that we need, without making a trade for somebody or going over the Luxury Tax?

Some scrub vet minimum guy is not the answer. We need to acquire a starting quality center. If we can't get that, Al has to play more like a center physically.

If he doesn't want to do that, the only legit choice we have is to trade for one.

Which means either Smith or Horford has to be traded.

But Al can make all of this moot, if he played like a true 5, with added physical toughness.

It's the same situation that Monta Ellis and Steph Curry are in, with the Warriors. Ellis is a smallish 2. Curry is a 1. You honestly need both on the court to win games. But you'll lose games because Ellis isn't physical enough to guard decent to all-star 2s.

So they have to make a decision for the betterment of their team. Ellis or Curry have to go, and a good 2 have to take one of their places.

The same may be true for the Hawks concerning Horford and Smith.

[thecampster]

Never heard Joe complaining about playin the 2 or the 3. Never heard Josh complaining about playin the 3 or the 4. Never heard Hinrich complaining about playin the 1 or the 2. And never heard Jamal(who is not a pg), complain about playin the 2 or the 1. Just sayin. I like Horford, but just play ball man. How bout hitting the weight room and working on your post game. And btw, if you ever want to be an allstar again, better keep playin center. Just my 2 cents.

Piling on. Josh has actually played limited 5 in his time here too. Marvin played a little 2 this year when Joe was out.

For 12 million a year, someone had better be willing to play out of position and be willing to go to Waffle House with me at 3 in the morning when I call in a favor...no questions asked.

[99PROBL3MS]

I am sure they all have a preference of position but Horford is the only to publicly complain about playing a certain position. If he doesn't mind playing C in the all-star game, he certainly shouldn't mind playing it in the games that actually matter. He can physically get it done. He just has to want to.

Edited June 3, 2011 by 99PROBL3MS

[NineOhTheRino]

It's refreshing to see so many giving a honest reaction to Horford's comments. In the past HS.net has given this guy a pass to say whatever he wants. He's a good player but I wish he'd chill with all the offseason chirping and in-game posing....

:offtopic:

Did you guys see LBJ's 5 second vanity pose last night after that dunk? No class! I've never enjoyed watching a team implode more.

[Guest]

I'm a Horford Fan but all this talk about him playing PF is now in his head that's prolly why he had a bad playoffs. He knew how the team was constructed when he signed his extension so quit b*tching and play ball. We all know the club needs to get bigger but stop complaining.

[hawkman]

I am sure they all have a preference of position but Horford is the only to publicly complain about playing a certain position. If he doesn't mind playing C in the all-star game, he certainly shouldn't mind playing it in the games that actually matter. He can physically get it done. He just has to want to.

And that's the problem. I'm not sure Horf wants to anymore. That's a shame because he was every bit the blue collar player when he first got here. He didn't even seem all that undersized to me back then either until he played Howard. But even then, he never stopped fighting. He's still the same guy physically, but his mentality has changed and I don't like it. I want the old 10ppg and 10rpg Horf back. I never thought I'd see the day when I could say Zaza is the toughest big on the roster with a straight face.

[ATLien_]

I'm a Horford Fan but all this talk about him playing PF is now in his head that's prolly why he had a bad playoffs. He knew how the team was constructed when he signed his extension so quit b*tching and play ball. We all know the club needs to get bigger but stop complaining.

And this ladies and gentlemen is why athletes give PC bucket answers, for when you tell the truth you get killed for it. The interviewer clearly asked Al what this team needs to get to the next level. He said they need more size. He said certain matchups it's favorable for him to play the 5, but many are not. He also said he does not mind playing the 5 as the interviewers kept insisting that he is a natural 4. I think Nick and Chris said this about 5 times over the course of the interview.

Some how this gets twisted into Al Horford b*tching about playing center. They asked him a question and he answered honestly. You want the truth you can't handle the truth.

I was also encouraged by what he said he needed to work on. Jump shot, taking people off the dribble and being quicker in the post. WTF is wrong with this? This is exactly what he needs to be working on.

Al just give the canned I’m going to give 110%, and I wouldn't want to go to battle with anybody else answer next time. Save yourself some grief.

[Diesel]

And that's the problem. I'm not sure Horf wants to anymore. That's a shame because he was every bit the blue collar player when he first got here. He didn't even seem all that undersized to me back then either until he played Howard. But even then, he never stopped fighting. He's still the same guy physically, but his mentality has changed and I don't like it. I want the old 10ppg and 10rpg Horf back. I never thought I'd see the day when I could say Zaza is the toughest big on the roster with a straight face.

Yeah, I think this is the problem that i notice too. Horf mentality is not playing like the guy who we want him to be. We want the workmen like attitude of a Karl Malone or a Alonzo Mourning. What we're getting back is a guy who can do the stuff but doesn't want to. Anytime a player starts focusing more on preserving his career than winning championships, he's somewhat ruined.

Zo was one kidney down still trying to play. He's a warrior. I don't know if Horf has that warrior in him. He's becoming bloated in his mind because he's an allstar. The truth is as long as you're in the East... and Bogut is injured, you will probably get an allstar nod.

However, that doesn't mean it's time to wrap it up.

Or maybe, deep down, he doesn't feel that this team can win?

Like some of our fans, he doesn't see the need to push himself hard because he feels like we're too flawed to win?

Against Chicago, that's what it felt like. I called it "injured play" but maybe he just didn't think we could win.... Even when we were winning?

Either way... the untradable label has been removed from Horf (In my mind).

Right now, Minnesota is interesting.

[NineOhTheRino]

Somebody (Tito?) got in his head. His jumper has improved greatly but where are his post moves. I just don't get why the Hawks big guys are so driven to play small.

[Jody23]

And this ladies and gentlemen is why athletes give PC bucket answers, for when you tell the truth you get killed for it. The interviewer clearly asked Al what this team needs to get to the next level. He said they need more size. He said certain matchups it's favorable for him to play the 5, but many are not. He also said he does not mind playing the 5 as the interviewers kept insisting that he is a natural 4. I think Nick and Chris said this about 5 times over the course of the interview.

Some how this gets twisted into Al Horford b*tching about playing center. They asked him a question and he answered honestly. You want the truth you can't handle the truth.

I was also encouraged by what he said he needed to work on. Jump shot, taking people off the dribble and being quicker in the post. WTF is wrong with this? This is exactly what he needs to be working on.

Al just give the canned I’m going to give 110%, and I wouldn't want to go to battle with anybody else answer next time. Save yourself some grief.

Spot on. Horford's thinking big picture, championship. He knows this team can't reach that goal with him playing center and no other legitimate bigs in sight. Point blank period. Yet many want to insist he play there. Why? So they can make sure they see their favorite players play certain positions no matter how mediocre the outcome continues to be? This ain't Playstation folks. The Hawks are going to continue to try to force something that clearly has no potential to ever be elite because of their clinginess to certain guys and by the time they concede it's not going to work, it's going to be too late to do anything about it. Again, I ask, how many years does it take to realize the current combinations aren't working?

Edited June 3, 2011 by Jody23

[NineOhTheRino]

Spot on. Horford's thinking big picture, championship. He knows this team can't reach that goal with him playing center and no other legitimate bigs in sight. Point blank period. Yet many want to insist he play there. Why? So they can make sure they see their favorite players play certain positions no matter how mediocre the outcome continues to be? This ain't Playstation folks. The Hawks are going to continue to try to force something that clearly has no potential to ever be elite because of their clinginess to certain guys and by the time they concede it's not going to work, it's going to be too late to do anything about it. Again, I ask, how many years does it take to realize the current combinations aren't working?

Lets see here....

1. Perkins is in the West.
   
2. Shaq just retired.
   
3. Horford was named 3rd team All-NBA center.
   
4. The Hawks just beat the most dominating center in the league in playoffs.
   

Am I missing something?

Edited June 3, 2011 by NineOhTheRino

[Diesel]

Spot on. Horford's thinking big picture, championship. He knows this team can't reach that goal with him playing center and no other legitimate bigs in sight. Point blank period. Yet many want to insist he play there. Why? So they can make sure they see their favorite players play certain positions no matter how mediocre the outcome continues to be? This ain't Playstation folks. The Hawks are going to continue to try to force something that clearly has no potential to ever be elite because of their clinginess to certain guys and by the time they concede it's not going to work, it's going to be too late to do anything about it. Again, I ask, how many years does it take to realize the current combinations aren't working?

If Horf is thinking championship...

Why didn't he show up in the Chicago Series.

They doubled Joe and Jamal.

They basically isolated him outside of the paint.

Horf didn't do anything.

At that point was he thinking..."Man, we can't beat these guys. I'm going to pull a Marvin and just do what is comfortable. I like playing PF because I don't have to do anything. I feel like Josh. I can just sit here and do nothing like Marvin or I can jack up bad shots like Josh. Hell, I don't mind seeing Noah win it all? Even if we beat these guys, we can't beat Miami or Dallas so why should I try hard? I'll just watch Joe and Teague do their thing and if they call on me, I will try something but I'm not pressed. ".

That's how it looked and felt.

If he has given up on this team, then maybe we need to ship him out and get some players with some freakin Heart!!!

[Jody23]

Lets see here....

1. Perkins is in the West.
   
2. Shaq just retired.
   
3. Horford was named 3rd team All-NBA center.
   
4. The Hawks just beat the most dominating center in the league in playoffs.
   

Am I missing something?

Yep.

4. They got killed inside by a bigger team with less playoff experience (Chicago Bulls).

5. The Hawks aren't playing in the finals.

Look, I'm not saying Horf doesn't need to play better. He does. I'm not even saying that he's the answer at the 4 or the 5. But when he makes the statement that the teams needs more size and that he's limited in certain situations at the 5, I agree with him.

[Jody23]

If Horf is thinking championship...

Why didn't he show up in the Chicago Series.

They doubled Joe and Jamal.

They basically isolated him outside of the paint.

Horf didn't do anything.

At that point was he thinking..."Man, we can't beat these guys. I'm going to pull a Marvin and just do what is comfortable. I like playing PF because I don't have to do anything. I feel like Josh. I can just sit here and do nothing like Marvin or I can jack up bad shots like Josh. Hell, I don't mind seeing Noah win it all? Even if we beat these guys, we can't beat Miami or Dallas so why should I try hard? I'll just watch Joe and Teague do their thing and if they call on me, I will try something but I'm not pressed. ".

That's how it looked and felt.

If he has given up on this team, then maybe we need to ship him out and get some players with some freakin Heart!!!

What does his playoff performance, which was bad, have to do with the answer he gave to the question he was asked? He never denied that he has to play better. He acknowledged that. And, if he's out there quitting on his team, then yeah, they should trade him. However, when asked about what the Hawks need to become a title contender, I see nothing wrong with the answer he gave and I agree with it.

[Diesel]

What does his playoff performance, which was bad, have to do with the answer he gave to the question he was asked? He never denied that he has to play better. He acknowledged that. And, if he's out there quitting on his team, then yeah, they should trade him. However, when asked about what the Hawks need to become a title contender, I see nothing wrong with the answer he gave and I agree with it.

Well the problem is...

That's what we brought you in here for Horford.

We didn't bring you in because you were graduating from Fla.

We brought you in because we felt that you could be what Shelden Failed to be.

And for a while, you were.

You're a 2 time allstar at the C position.

There are a limited amount of 7 footers in this league.

In the playoffs ,we played you at your preferred position of PF.

Our rotations at the 5 were not the problem in the playoffs. They played with heart.

The problem was that you didn't.

It's like students who go to school all day. Come home and don't study, don't do homework. and go back the next day and say... "Well, if you taught me using a different method.. I'd learn something. I admit, I had my part in this because I didn't study.. but teacher, you should be learning the newest teaching methods so that you can reach me."

That's what I hear in Horford.

His acknowledgement is just a part of the excuse.

Before we give up because we have made predictions, let's try to go out there and really give 110%?

It pains me to see some guys just playing with so much heart (Zaza, Teague) and they never get any credit for being close to Good.. but the guy who is our allstar and 3rd team NBA is half assing?? This is when the game meant something. If Zaza and Teague can find the heart to play hard... and play through the pain, why is Horf looking around saying... we need a better 5?

f*** that!!!

Horf get your *ss out there and play hard!!!

We really don't know what we need until everybody is giving maximum effort.

Joe said it best. we need some blue collar workers. What that really means is that instead of having these primadonas who predict the game and decide if they are going to play hard this time. We need some guys with the attitude that I'm going to do everything I can.