2. Al Horford
Al Horford is one of those classic complementary players whose impact goes beyond his numbers. In that sense, he’s similar to Lamar Odom – not in terms of style of play, but in terms of being a jack-of-all-trades whose impact cannot really be measured by stats.
Like Odom back in the day, Horford is above-average in several aspects of the game. He can score down low, he’s a good rebounder, a good passer, and a good defensive player, especially when it comes to protecting the rim.
But where Horford could really challenge the Lakers is with his ability to hit the outside shot. He’s a career 36.8 percent 3-point shooter.
By hitting the 3-ball, Horford can at least somewhat neutralize the Lakers’ size advantage by making either Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard come out onto the perimeter to guard him. That will, at least in theory, open things up for the other Sixers, not just offensively but also on the offensive boards.
If the Lakers do end up meeting Philly in the championship series, it will be interesting to see what coach Frank Vogel does to counter this.