Al Horford left the Atlanta Hawks for the Boston Celtics in 2016 NBA free agency, but denies that Dwight Howard’s signing was the reason he left Atlanta.
In a sit-down interview with Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, former Atlanta Hawks All-Star center dispelled the rumors that he left Atlanta in 2016 NBA free agency for the rival Boston Celtics because of the Hawks organization’s decision to sign free agent center Dwight Howard.
Horford told Vivlamore, “No, no, no. Not at all. I don’t have a problem with Dwight…It has nothing to do with not wanting to play with Dwight. I don’t know if you remember but there was a time when I wanted to play power forward. With a guy like him, that would have been easier.”
Horford did star in college playing power forward for Billy Donovan’s back-to-back National Championship teams with the Florida Gators with New York Knicks center Joakim Noah playing the five. Atlanta did play Horford out of position at center for much of his nine-year stint with the club, but he grew into a stretch five role under Atlanta head coach Mike Budenholzer the last two years.
Leaving Atlanta had probably more to do with money and how the Hawks organization went about courting him in free agency. The Hawks didn’t offer Horford that fifth year, maximum contract offer until it was too late, as he had already made up his mind to play for Brad Stevens’ Celtics.
Maybe his departure from Atlanta could have had something to do with the Jeff Teague trade with the Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz? Horford and Teague had a strong pick-and-roll partnership the last seven years in Atlanta. Perhaps it was time for Horford to make a clean break and get the max with another team?
Spacing would have been very clunky in the Atlanta front court with three All-Stars in Howard, Horford, and power forward Paul Millsap. Though Atlanta could have figured out a way to have all three big men on their 2016-17 roster, Howard now replaces Horford at starting center this upcoming season.
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