Should Horford take MORE 3s?

[TheNorthCydeRises]

This is a 10 question overview about Al Horford.  With him being an unrestricted free agent this summer, this will be the biggest contract of his career.  The Hawks also have to choose whether to retain him and at what price.  Just trying to get a gauge of how the fan base feels about him.

Edited May 15, 2016 by TheNorthCydeRises

[Guest]

I'd like him back between 20-25 mill, he needs to only shoot about 2-3 treys per game..post up more, defend better and clean glass better. Wouldn't mind a few minutes at pf too if we had a legit center. 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Interesting trends in this thread after 11 votes.

[Diesel]

I'm all for moving Horf to the 4 if we have a strong defensive/rebounding 5.  Horf wants to be a 4.  He is too SWFT to play C in this league anymore.  So if he can establish a good 3 pointer, then let him.

The time has come for us to start comparing him to the Kevin Love, Millsap and Dirk's of the world instead of looking at him as a C.

 

[BrazilianHawk]

I think 3 or so treys attempts are OK, should rebound better on defense, but no need to rebound 10 per, as he's one of the few who actually boxes out. Should play more PF as his range is good enough to not be on the paint all of the time, doesn't really need to post up more. He is what he is, he prefers jumpers and he's pretty good at that so I'm OK with not seeing him in the paint too much.  Good offense, very good defense, I would pay him max money because if I won't, somebody else most definitely will.

[AHF]

Usually you push someone to the 3pt line because the efficiency on their 3pt shot is better than on their 2's.  That isn't the case for Al so I have no driving need to see him shooting 3's.  1 per game or so seems sufficient unless he dramatically improves from there.  Having him around the basket more is a much higher priority.

[Bankingitbig]

35 minutes ago, AHF said:

Usually you push someone to the 3pt line because the efficiency on their 3pt shot is better than on their 2's.  That isn't the case for Al so I have no driving need to see him shooting 3's.  1 per game or so seems sufficient unless he dramatically improves from there.  Having him around the basket more is a much higher priority.

I think a case can be made for having a 34% 3pt shooter at the 3pt line instead of in the paint in order to open up space for the offense and provide for lanes for people to drive/cut.

[macdaddy]

There is a reason every coach he's had has kept him at the 5.   We complain about his offense now but he's going to encounter much stronger resistance as a full time PF.   His strengths are in the mid range and making the opposing center guard him gives Horford and the offense a big advantage.   If the opposing center isn't having to come out of the lane to guard Horford then they have better rim protection. 

[Diesel]

20 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

There is a reason every coach he's had has kept him at the 5.   We complain about his offense now but he's going to encounter much stronger resistance as a full time PF.   His strengths are in the mid range and making the opposing center guard him gives Horford and the offense a big advantage.   If the opposing center isn't having to come out of the lane to guard Horford then they have better rim protection. 

You are what you gaurd.

Horf hasn't done well in the low post against Bigs.  He's sawft.  He's always wanted to play PF.  Let him.  He has good footwork as a defender.  Moreover, not many teams will want to focus on him outside.  He gets the Dirk advantage.

I hate seeing him shoot threes as a 5 as much as anybody.  However, if we had a real rebounding defending 5, I say move him.

[AHF]

57 minutes ago, Bankingitbig said:

I think a case can be made for having a 34% 3pt shooter at the 3pt line instead of in the paint in order to open up space for the offense and provide for lanes for people to drive/cut.

Not on a team that does very little cutting and spends little time in the paint.  He shoots basically the same from 2pt range (.492% on 16-<3pt range) on his jumpers which could also serve the same purpose while putting him in range to crash the boards on occasion.

[SalvorMallow]

Horford said in his exit interview that his primary focuses this summer will be working on his post game and putting the ball on the floor.  Hope we see some great results from that.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, SalvorMallow said:

Horford said in his exit interview that his primary focuses this summer will be working on his post game and putting the ball on the floor.  Hope we see some great results from that.

This is actually the first time I've heard him say he'll be working on is post game.  When Bud first signed here, I said he need to get Al and Timmy together so Timmy could show him a few things.   I remember guys like Hibbert and a few other bigs would work out with Timmy.  Why not Al.

Quote

In the 16th season of a career fast-tracked for Springfield, Mass., Duncan has become the NBA’s unofficial Goodwill Ambassador of Big Men, a resource for younger players to mine during the offseason.

The list of those the two-time MVP and four-time NBA champion has helped tutor also includes All-Stars Roy Hibbert of Indiana and LaMarcus Aldridge of Portland, as well as New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick in last June’s draft.

The only catch: If a young player wants an audience with the wise old sage, he must travel to San Antonio to get it.

“I just want to work out, honestly,” Duncan said. “Whoever’s willing to work out, I’ll work out with anybody. It makes the summers go by better. It makes me better. I’m available to do that, so I like doing that.”

It is a unique dynamic, to be sure: A 36-year-old warhorse in the twilight of his career, volunteering to train the generation that will one day put him out to pasture.

Duncan first met Thompson and Aldridge during their college days just up Interstate 35 at UT. Davis — a rookie from Kentucky often compared to Duncan — came to San Antonio for informal workouts with a handful of Hornets teammates last August.

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

5 hours ago, Diesel said:

I'm all for moving Horf to the 4 if we have a strong defensive/rebounding 5.  Horf wants to be a 4.  He is too SWFT to play C in this league anymore.  So if he can establish a good 3 pointer, then let him.

The time has come for us to start comparing him to the Kevin Love, Millsap and Dirk's of the world instead of looking at him as a C.

 

Interesting.

Love attempted 5.7 threes per game during the season, making 36%.  He upped that to 7.9 threes per game in the playoffs, making 44%.

As much as people cried about Horford shooting 3s, he shot 39% in the playoffs.  Since February, he's shot 36.7% ( above league average ).

 

Edited May 16, 2016 by TheNorthCydeRises

[benhillboy]

The most telling indicator of Al's offensive game is his FTAs. Regularly failing to go to the line even once belies so many weaknesses in his game.  10 years in you gonna work on your post and drive game all of a sudden?  Why would I buy that?

[Sothron]

We would have to move him to the 4 as a pure stretch 4 to justify several of these questions.

Frankly I'd rather let him walk and go after Whiteside or even Dwight Howard. We need a rebounding big man that can get in the low post and Horford will never be that player.

It really pains me to say this but if you go back and watch Horford tape before the pec tears he looks like an almost different player in his grit and willingness to fight for rebounds. Current Horford just doesn't have that. Some of that is due to his being asked to weak side defend and go for blocks but he's still leaving WAY too many defensive boards go.

[AHF]

Defensive rebounds is a major area for improvement.  Driving more and getting to the line as well.  Both problems revolve around him avoiding contact.

[Sothron]

I honestly think he's scared of repeating the tears to his pecs again. There's just no other explanation.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

3 hours ago, Sothron said:

We would have to move him to the 4 as a pure stretch 4 to justify several of these questions.

Frankly I'd rather let him walk and go after Whiteside or even Dwight Howard. We need a rebounding big man that can get in the low post and Horford will never be that player.

It really pains me to say this but if you go back and watch Horford tape before the pec tears he looks like an almost different player in his grit and willingness to fight for rebounds. Current Horford just doesn't have that. Some of that is due to his being asked to weak side defend and go for blocks but he's still leaving WAY too many defensive boards go.

Or play him like Miami does Chris Bosh.  He plays as a stretch 5, but looks for his shot much more aggressively.

[Diesel]

3 hours ago, benhillboy said:

The most telling indicator of Al's offensive game is his FTAs. Regularly failing to go to the line even once belies so many weaknesses in his game.  10 years in you gonna work on your post and drive game all of a sudden?  Why would I buy that?

Horf has worked on what he wanted to improve.  He doesn't care about posting, never has.  He has always been a face to the basket Big.  He'd do better to just be honest, he was making a move trying to be more of a stretch 4.  If Bud is gong ho about bringing him back, let's be honest too.  He's not going to help our rebounding or all the sudden become a post player.   Put him at 4 (stretch 4) and bring in a strong 5.  Let him and Sap battle it out until Dec in a loser leaves town match.

 

[Diesel]

3 hours ago, Sothron said:

We would have to move him to the 4 as a pure stretch 4 to justify several of these questions.

Frankly I'd rather let him walk and go after Whiteside or even Dwight Howard. We need a rebounding big man that can get in the low post and Horford will never be that player.

It really pains me to say this but if you go back and watch Horford tape before the pec tears he looks like an almost different player in his grit and willingness to fight for rebounds. Current Horford just doesn't have that. Some of that is due to his being asked to weak side defend and go for blocks but he's still leaving WAY too many defensive boards go.

I'd rather keep him and sign Dwight or Whitesides... then trade him or Sap later.

He's still got Bird rights.  Championship teams exploit that.

17 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Or play him like Miami does Chris Bosh.  He plays as a stretch 5, but looks for his shot much more aggressively.

IF Miami were able to keep Whitesides, Bosh would have been made into a stretch 4.