Orange and Blue Hue » Al Horford: Wisdom Beyond His Years

Al Horford: Wisdom Beyond His Years

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One of the faces on Florida’s Mount Rushmore of College Basketball Success has wasted no time in making an NBA impact.

For nearly the entire season, Horford has had to take a backseat in press coverage to vets Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. At 6-10, he’s had to play as a somewhat undersized center while Smith has excelled at power forward. And then there was Bibby.

But Horford is one of the key reasons why the Atlanta Hawks are tied right now in their series with the Boston Celtics. He’s stepped up his play to another level:

Regular Season: 10.1 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.5 APG
Playoffs: 12.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.3 APG

Incredibly, in large part thanks to Al, the Hawks have outrebounded the C’s in three of their four games. We at O&B Hue wish him good luck down the stretch, even if a series win is not to be.

Boston hasn’t struggled because the Hawks have sent better players. They haven’t. Boston hasn’t even struggled because the Hawks have sent a better team.

No, if there is a reason that the Celtics are struggling, it lies not in arms or legs, but in mouths.

After two games, it looked like they made Atlanta eat their words. Smith looked like a fool for saying that the Hawks would shock the world. Bibby had a bad game 2 after openly criticizing the fans at Boston Garden. The C’s looked headed for a sweep.

But over the last two games, they’ve failed to find the inspiration necessary to play dynamite basketball and take to a team who squeaking in with the 8th seed.

And until they manage to take two over this team, the Hawks will talk, talk, and talk some more. And they’ll have Horford, who, despite being a rookie, carries himself and his team with a wisdom beyond his years.

Personally, I consider him the most promising product of the Billy Donovan lab to date, even more so than ex-ROY Mike Miller.

Good luck, Al. You’re going to need it against a team that has a three-leaf clover in their logo.

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Our little tyke is all growed up… [sniff]

But seriously. Everyone who said Horford was the most NBA-ready of the three was dead on. It’s still possible that one of the others will have a higher ceiling, partly because they’re fairly unusual talents whereas Horford is a pretty conventional 4, but he’s well out in front after year one. Now, if he could only win the ROY…

I think Horford easily has the highest ceiling of last year’s Florida products. I watch NBA all year every year and I’ve been impressed with his ability to score with his back to the basket. Vince, you can’t put Horford and Mike Miller in the same sentence, that’s insulting but I tell you “One of the faces on Florida’s Mount Rushmore of College Success” is a great line, I might steal that one sometime.

Horford has been a beast all year. He’ll be a cornerstone of the Hawks for years to come. They have a pretty bright future as a team so long as they can keep the core together. They are still very very young. Their top 6 have been running the C’s top 6 into the ground late in the past 2 games.

The key in game 5 is to stay close enough to try it again in the 4th quarter. The strategy doesn’t work in blowouts (see games 1 & 2). Horford was the only Hawk not intimidated by the bright lights and loud crowd in game 1.

Go Hawks.

Well, Mike Miller WAS the NBA Rookie of the year in 2001. However, despite possible losing ROY to Durant, Horford has all of the physical tools to be even more dangerous.

He hasn’t scored in bunches, but he’s got his act together defensively and can build from there.

Love that kid. Absolutely love him.

Reports from ESPN today are that Durant won the ROY award. No big deal - Big Al prefers winning games over individual awards…

I hate to even think in “coulda shoulda woulda” terms but just imagine how dominant Al Horford could have been as a senior in college. Wow!

Then again, you’d have to consider just what the ’04s could have done had all of them stayed. Like I said, Mt. Rushmore.

Personally, with Nick Calathes as the 2-guard and Mo Speights as a backup, maybe, just maybe, Florida could have threepeated.

These weren’t Donovan’s first Final Fours. I don’t think they’ll be his last.

Hell no. There are more F4s ahead. Florida’s hoops program has joined the ranks of the elite for good. It’s great to be a Florida Gator… all year long.

Nahh. You would have been second in the East of the SEC behind a UK lineup with Rondo and Bradley in the backcourt, Crawford, Patterson and Morris up front.

Yeah, with faulty officiating.

BTW, Wilbur Marshall got elected to the College Football Hall of Fame today.

Just curious, but…

Does anybody besides myself remember the entirety of BHGS chanting”Wiiiiiiiilllllllbuuuuuurrrrrrr” everytime that guy would make a tackle back in the day?

Marshall was one of my first memories of gator football where I actually started to realize what was happening at a football game…

I love that man…

And I’m not afraid to say it…

Congrats, Wilbur…

The Marshall Plan:

At the whistle, run like the wind at whoever has the ball.

Tackle his brains out and win 2 Super Bowl rings.

Al Whoreford is getting ready to be eliminated by the Boston Celtics and KENTUCKY’S own Rajon Rondo! After he is gone how many ex gators will be left in the playoffs compared to Kentucky? You guys are basketball jokes.

Don’t compare Horford to Rondo, you’re embarassing yourself and the greatness that Kentucky used to stand for.

I seem to remember Rondo getting owned by Taurean Green every time the two points faced off. Green actually made Rondo look stupid.

Only thing Green made look stupid was the mirror. I seem to remember Uk beating Florida by 20 something when the Gators were number one during Green’s freshman year. I also remember Crawford making Calathes look like the balding 19-year old he is last year at Rupp. I also seem to remember Perry Stevenson dominating Speights.

So your favorite memories of the last 5 seasons include a) Taurean Greens’ freshman year when he didn’t even start (that was Anthony Roberson) and winning 1 of 8 (that one coming against our worst team of the decade, and a Kentucky team with two senior leaders giving every ounce they had to beat us.) Pretty unremarkable.

I look back across those five years and see three SEC-T championships, an SEC title, two national championships and an unbelievable national spotlight.

Good luck catching up!

No, my favorite moment was probably when Patterson turned down a Florida team that had just won two titles to come to UK with a new coach, and then his team that had more heart than any other in the NCAA’s last year beat a Florida team full of touted freshmen and sophomores without him.

Yeah, he actually lost head to head against Speights. Guess he won’t get a chance to even it up as Speights is going pro this year (worst decision ever.)

Hey Boatnight-

Nice prediction for game 6. What was Rondo? 4/12? Horford had yet another fine game. I thought it was odd that Boston put the game in Rondo’s hands for the last shot. I am not sure whether to describe Rondo’s took as terrified or lost, but the result was inevitable - A-I-R-B-A-L-L. Celts lose. Game 7 to follow.

By the way, the Spurs are looking pretty strong right now, maybe Bonner can become yet another Gator to win a championship?!

I would like to apologize to basketball fans everywhere for the disgrace to the game that the Hawks spewed forth this afternoon.

Skigator93-

Way to talk shit and then get your ass kicked. Hopefully, you have learned something. But I doubt it.

These guys take thier basketball seriously. Now we’ve reverted to foul language and actually believing that ski played for the Hawks. He didn’t lose, a team with one of our players lost. Can you guys stick to your site, you bring less and less to this one all the time.

Just using the language that skigator93 loves to use. Just trying to talk down to his level.

If you’re going to talk to my level Boatboy, you’d better get yourself a step ladder.

Contrary to juvenile belief, I did not play basketball for the Hawks yesterday - I enjoyed the afternoon taking my 2 daughters for a bike ride.

I was still embarassed as an Atlantan by their performance however. I will also say that the Celts have nothing to boast about by taking 7 games to defeat an 8th seed with a losing record.

Listen Clown err ski,

I do not care about NBA basketball at all. Never have! You are the one bragging on the great Al Whoreford as if your Florida school is the only one to ever produce an NBA player. Once again I do not care one bit about the NBA. You gator fans just need to stop thinking you all are some basketball dynasty. Now, ski, you can go back to flipping burgers.

Don’t be jealous Boat…a few more months on trash duty and maybe you can move up to washing lettuce. A couple months of that and you can move on to fries and maybe even make assitant crew chief - and THAT’s when the big bucks start rolling in!

Oooooooooooooo…I have awoke from my dormancy over the last few days, and will continue wrecking havoc on the UK masses. Ooooooooooooo, fear me.

I will be the dog that makes Wildcats miserable. Because Wildcats are still cats.

And the lion is the king of the jungle…meow….

Yes, but they aren’t the University of Kentucky Lions, are they?

Just like the Gators aren’t dogs, though they remind of a bunch of bitches…haha

That doesn’t even make sense; to say nothing of downright crude.

OK Vince, once again I’m calling your Florida education out. “I will be the dog that makes the wildcats miserable,” Gagliano said.
Gagliano then poked fun at Daniel’s comment about lions being the king of the jungle, saying Kentucky’s mascot is not a lion, but a wildcat.
Daniel responded by pointing out Florida’s is not a dog, but then said they remind him of bitches…hence…a reference to a mother dog….
Geesh.

Anyone who speak English know that gator & dog not related. In fact, gator and dog fight in cocktail party every year.

Me not wear jorts.

We got footbal and titles. You got overrated horse race and has-been power.

You had titles, just like us. Now you HAVE NIT births and a defense that couldn’t stop a two-legged horse.

You too HAD titles….in fact, must less recent than ours, plus a team that couldn’t even beat UGA.

Oh and by the way, UK is now in last place in baseball too. So you officially suck at every sport. Congrats!

Maybe you can find an old Delorean and travel back to the good ole days.

Great Scott, Marty!

Cat Fan has traveled to 1966 to help Rupp’s Runts win the national title. After that, he’s traveling to the early 50’s so that the Cats can win forever.

We have to stop him without creating a paradox that will proceed to destroy the universe.

Creating a paradox? Don’t you mean a parody? Must less recent? Don’t you mean much less recent. Even though the much really isn’t need at all. Some scholars Florida is putting out these days, I tell ya.
Oh by the way, you mean the Georgia team that made the tourney, unlike you guys? Come on now, you had a couple of luck years when there just wasn’t much talent in the NCAA’s, now it’s back to the doorstep your basketball team has always been. And speaking of UGA, isn’t that the same school that beat you and your beloved Teebag in football? You all got upset so many times last year I lost count.

Daniel is on FIRE!!!!!!

Yeah, he must be a flamer….fotunately for you Boatright.

You love to switch sports when it is convenient, don’t you?

Come on now Ski, leave John alone. You know you putt from the rough…

Mmmmmmm - sandwich picks.

What do you mean they aren’t delicious? D’Oh!

Why are there only two Florida fans that actually come to this site-Vince and Ski? Just asking.

Not sure, John.

But for that matter, why are two UK fans - Daniel and yourself - brazen enough to routinely barge in and ask?

We’re just supporters of Florida athletics. If it wasn’t for you all, we’d have 100 less wins in basketball.

Don’t make Daniel and I upset because if we leave then it will just be you and ski. Maybe you and ski should just email each other another. Wouldn’t that be easier? Just a suggestion.

Sorry guys, but that was pretty funny.

Sorry for messing up that sentence. It should have read “Maye you and ski should just email each other.” Again, sorry for not proof reading.

Your last sentence had no subject.

Nah, I’ll let it slide.

The subject is that Florida athletes are a bunch of thugs!

And Tim Tebow?

Actually, the subject of THIS thread is Al Horford and his surge in play in the playoffs…

Not to split hairs or anything…

Just kidding Tim Tebow is awesome. I really do respect all the things that he has been doing. You guys should be really proud to have someone of his talent on and off the field. You can not help but cheer for a guy like that. I also hope that he stays for four years, which I know he won’t, because he is good for the SEC and college football as a whole.

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