Roundtable Discussion: Not Re-signing Al Horford
Al Horford will be playing for the Boston Celtics next season. After nine great seasons in Atlanta, how do you view this move by the team?
Al Horford had been a main ingredient for the Hawks success over the past nine seasons.
He was the spark plug for bringing back excitement to basketball in Atlanta. It didn’t take long for him to become the face of the franchise.
Now that face is gone and suiting up in the green uniforms of the Boston Celtics. The uniforms that Hawks fans have a strong hatred for. It’s one thing to lose a player such as Horford, it’s another thing when he opts to sign with the conference rival.
Here’s what some of the crew here at SDS had to say about the move.
Colby Giacubeno: As the Al Horford situation continued to develop, I came to accept that the chances of him suiting up for the Hawks next season were slim. But seeing him sign with the Boston Celtics made me speechless considering they are the Hawks’ conference rival. The signing of Dwight Howard made the blow a little less impactful, but watching a cornerstone player part ways has no easy path. It was time for a change. The Hawks were stuck in neutral and needed a boost to give them a different feel and dynamic for the future, and this was the sacrifice that had to be made.
Collin Huguley: Like Teague was a sentimental blow, the Horford loss was like ripping out my heart and throwing it on the floor. Al Horford transformed the Hawks from league laughing stock into a consistent playoff team. That being said, the Hawks offered him a lot of money and he declined. I would much rather pay Dwight $70 million over 3 years than Horford $136 million over 5 years (per Adrian Wojnarowski). Horford is the epitome of what the Hawks are, but the NBA is a business and the Hawks did the more financially wise thing in letting him go.
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Tom Atkinson: Al Horford’s two-word tweet “Celtics Pride” sent a single tear rolling down my cheek. Boss was not only a consistent and underrated performer for the Hawks, but he was also their captain and their heart. Perhaps no single player epitomized Atlanta’s mentality like Horford did. He meant an awful lot to this team and the fans and I still can’t understand why the management let $6million stand in the way of Horford’s return. If the Hawks wanted to move in a different direction, why did they even try to keep him? Of course, Dwight Howard’s arrival softens the blow but, for now, it is still a bitter pill to swallow.
Rakshan Robertson: As it turned out, the opportunity cost of getting Dwight Howard was that Al Horford chose to leave. His decision is one that hurt but it also has its benefits. The Celtics are now giving max money to a player who puts up 16 and 8. If the Hawks were to re-sign him, the window of landing a superstar would close. At the same time, however, the frontcourt would have been locked up long-term. Instead, Paul Millsap is likely to test free agency next summer.
Nile Goodwyn: Al Horford was a great player for the Hawks, but it was time for him to go. His jump shooting and passing ability were not worth the lack of rebounds he grabbed in comparison to the rest of the NBA’s bigs. Horford barley grabbed 7 rebounds last season, and drifted further away from the basket as the season progressed. He shot more than 250 three pointers last season, compared to 36 the season before. Horford helped bring great success to the franchise, but as his game changed, he became less effective for the team.