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42 - Al Horford

6-9, 245 Power Forward
Florida Junior
Birthday
06/03/86 (37.9 yrs)
Hometown
Puerto Plata, DR
High School
Grand Ledge
Team Site Profile
2006 Statistics
Athleticism
8
Size
8
Defense
8
Strength
9
Quickness
8
Leadership
6
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
8
Rebounding
9
Potential
9
Post Skills
7
Intangibles
7
95 Overall:

NBA Comparison: Horace Grant/Carlos Boozer

Matthew Maurer – 12/14/2006

Strengths: Runs extremely well, able to beat most forwards down the court Is blessed with an NBA ready body and good strength Defensively Horford is a very strong post defender able to use his body strength to disrupt opposing players from setting up Solid shot blocker thanks to his timing and great anticipation skills Attacks the basket with aggression and power A surprising ball handler and passer for his size This enables him to pass out of double teams with relative ease Is physical in the low post and does a good job of drawling fouls from opposing defenders Usually he is able to use his upper body strength and finish after contact Really makes a big impact on the glass where he uses his body strength to box out Has proven to be a very coachable player with a solid work ethic Possesses a calm presence, doesnt let his emotions get the best of him Shows good court awareness, rarely does he try moves that are beyond his skill level Has shown the ability to hit the 12-15 foot jumper from mid-range Maintains good body control and balance absorbing contact well from opposing post defenders Rarely bobbles or fails to catch passes thrown into the post thanks to his soft hands

Weaknesses: Offensively, Horford lacks consistent shooting from mid-range and the perimeter Defensively Horford tends to get into foul trouble at times due to his aggressiveness Although his back to the basket skills are greatly improved, they are still in need of refinement Post footwork can be choppy. By improving this, Horford will become a lot more effective post player Has a tendency to defer to his teammates instead of establishing his presence in the game Still hasnt played with the consistency that you except with someone of his talent Can drift at times during games. Will have one dominating game followed by several so-so performances fails to get rebounds out of his position the way he should Below average free throw shooting prevents him from taking full advantage of the foul shots he creates

Aran Smith – 2/11/2005

Strengths: Long and athletic bigman … Long arms and broad shoulders make him a great rebounder and an imposing defender … Very active body … Has a huge frame with outstanding wingspan … A physical specimen type … Has nice touch inside … Hard working kid, who really wants to improve … Very coachable … Excels in the classroom … Very mobile, can get out on the break very well for a 6-9 player … Showing improvement on a daily basis … Really has come a long way since arriving at Florida, and has already cracked the starting lineup … Very even keeled, strong mentally …

Weaknesses: Experience … Still must fill out a lot, get much stronger … Post skills are still very raw. He needs to develop better post moves, and specifically a go to move … At this point he needs time and strength. He can get overwhelmed by bigger and stronger opponents … Must stay focused, play consistently for 40 minutes … Ball handling can improve … Must develop consistency … Must improve his free throw shooting …

Notes: Son of former 7-1 NBA second round pick Tito Horford … He is a native of the Dominican Republic and is fluent in Spanish … Al Horford’s Grand Ledge High School coach (Tony Sweet) on him: "Al had a great career at GL breaking several records at our school. He’s a good student and a hard worker. Probably his biggest asset is his competitiveness and his desire to get better."

YouTube Clip – 1/1/2001

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