Al Horford

[Kingster]

Well they did sort of have a big three when they had Jeff Hornacek on the team. And thats when they were at their best. Unfortuantely that seemed to coinside with some of the greatest teams in the NBA. Just bad luck to come along at the wrong time.

I never thought much of Hornacek. Nice shooter, not much else.

 

[bajaden]

I never thought much of Hornacek. Nice shooter, not much else.

Hmmm! Kind of surprised. I really liked Hornacek. He was a clutch player that knew when to rise to the occasion and when to take a back seat, and he played solid defense. He was the perfect kick it out to guy. Besides I loved his routine at the freethrow line. I guess everyone sees something different. However, I don't think it was an accident that Utah had some of their best years record wise when Hornacek was on the team.

 

[Kingster]

Hmmm! Kind of surprised. I really liked Hornacek. He was a clutch player that knew when to rise to the occasion and when to take a back seat, and he played solid defense. He was the perfect kick it out to guy. Besides I loved his routine at the freethrow line. I guess everyone sees something different. However, I don't think it was an accident that Utah had some of their best years record wise when Hornacek was on the team.

I think "kick it out to guy" sums it up for me. Not someone who could create his own shot. I didn't think he was a great D guy either. He certainly didn't rise to the "star" category. And I think that's why there was always talk about Utah needing that "third guy".

 

[gunks]

Again, here is the issue. Under the current salary structure (the future may change obviously, but the basic percentages are unlikely to0:

Reke $15mil
Cousins $15mil (potentially)
Horford $12mil
entire rest of the roster (10 players min) = $20mil or so before you hit the luxury tax. Average of $2mil a player.

When you get the double max/superstar type thing going, you are in great position to contend, but you are also really scraping the barrel financially. You have to be comfortable with Horford as your #3, perhaps one $4mil type player to provide a little outside shooting or scoring punch, and then a whole bunch of roleplayers, and not elite roleplayers either.

Now obviously if you can time it right, if your owners are suddenly financially flush again, and if the new rules still allow it, you can go ahead and resign your own guys up above the tax threshhold and keep the team together at a cost of $80mil or so (+$20mil in lux tax payments). But that's hard to cout on.

Good post laying out%2

 

[Telemachus]

I never thought much of Hornacek. Nice shooter, not much else.

I think that is understating Hornacek. He was a good ball handler, a very good passer, and a solid defensive player. He also was a clutch player.

 

[Kingster]

I think that is understating Hornacek. He was a good ball handler, a very good passer, and a solid defensive player. He also was a clutch player.

Not a star though. More of a complementary player, like Bowen or Fisher or Horry. All very nice complementary players, but not players that you build a team around, at least in my opinion.

 

[bajaden]

Not a star though. More of a complementary player, like Bowen or Fisher or Horry. All very nice complementary players, but not players that you build a team around, at least in my opinion.

Since Hornacek is one of my all time favorite players, I have to come to his defense a little. I think your really understating how good a player he really was. His lifetime 3pt shooting percentage is 40.3%. His lifetime FG percentage is 49.6%. That second figure is extremely high for a jump shooter. He averaged 4.9 assists a game for his career while only averaging 1.8 turnovers per game. He also averaged 1.4 steals a game for his career.

He was voted to the all star game in 1992, and participated in 4 others in some capacity, such as twice winning the 3pt shooting contest. He led the league in freethrow percentage in 2000 at 95%, and was continually one of the top five freethrow shooters in the league. He tied the league record of 11 3pt shots in a row without a miss several times. He scored over 10,000 career points and has over 5,000 career assists. His number was retired by the Jazz and hangs next those of Stockton and Malone. I think he was a tad more than just a complimentary player. If you don't think he couldn't play defense then you just didn't see him play enough. For one thing, if you play for Sloan, you damm well better play defense. On offense he was often the second option on the team after Malone. He absolutely killed the Kings. He ranks as one of the best three point shooters of all time in the NBA.

 

[Prince_XY]

Since Hornacek is one of my all time favorite players, I have to come to his defense a little. I think your really understating how good a player he really was. His lifetime 3pt shooting percentage is 40.3%. His lifetime FG percentage is 49.6%. That second figure is extremely high for a jump shooter. He averaged 4.9 assists a game for his career while only averaging 1.8 turnovers per game. He also averaged 1.4 steals a game for his career.

He was voted to the all star game in 1992, and participated in 4 others in some capacity, such as twice winning the 3pt shooting contest. He led the league in freethrow percentage in 2000 at 95%, and was continually one of the top five freethrow shooters in the league. He tied the league record of 11 3pt shots in a row without a miss several times. He scored over 10,000 career points and has over 5,000 career assists. His number was retired by the Jazz and hangs next those of Stockton and Malone. I think he was a tad more than just a complimentary player. If you don't think he couldn't play defense then you just didn't see him play enough. For one thing, if you play for Sloan, you damm well better play defense. On offense he was often the second option on the team after Malone. He absolutely killed the Kings. He ranks as one of the best three point shooters of all time in the NBA.

Very good post and I agree.

I remember everytime Hornacek had the ball on his hands, I felt like 2 or 3 points was coming up already. I also remember watching this guy consistently making all or most of his free throws in every game. He was also a very good defender and knew how to pass. I also think he was a tad more than just a complimentary player. I think the reason some of us kind of understated him is because we didn't see him flashy and just did his best fulfilling his role as 2nd or 3rd option in offense.

 

[Kingster]

Since Hornacek is one of my all time favorite players, I have to come to his defense a little. I think your really understating how good a player he really was. His lifetime 3pt shooting percentage is 40.3%. His lifetime FG percentage is 49.6%. That second figure is extremely high for a jump shooter. He averaged 4.9 assists a game for his career while only averaging 1.8 turnovers per game. He also averaged 1.4 steals a game for his career.

He was voted to the all star game in 1992, and participated in 4 others in some capacity, such as twice winning the 3pt shooting contest. He led the league in freethrow percentage in 2000 at 95%, and was continually one of the top five freethrow shooters in the league. He tied the league record of 11 3pt shots in a row without a miss several times. He scored over 10,000 career points and has over 5,000 career assists. His number was retired by the Jazz and hangs next those of Stockton and Malone. I think he was a tad more than just a complimentary player. If you don't think he couldn't play defense then you just didn't see him play enough. For one thing, if you play for Sloan, you damm well better play defense. On offense he was often the second option on the team after Malone. He absolutely killed the Kings. He ranks as one of the best three point shooters of all time in the NBA.

Even taking the point about defense, Fisher, Bowen and Horry in their glory years were very good defenders and were complementary, not star players. Valuable players? You bet. Just not what you would consider a big three guy.

 

[Gary]

Even taking the point about defense, Fisher, Bowen and Horry in their glory years were very good defenders and were complementary, not star players. Valuable players? You bet. Just not what you would consider a big three guy.

Yikes.. You don't compare Hornacek to those three.. Sorry but you just don't.. He was on a Jazz team which if not for Jordan would have a couple titles. Hos stats don't stand out during his Utah playing days because he did what he was supposed to do..

I guess I would Value him like Christie was to the Kings in his prime. He knew how to fit in wherever he went. If we could only have Hornacek next to Evans... Yikes, now that would be a combo!

 

[Sparky6string]

Hornacek was considered to be a star player before he was acquired by Utah. He changed his game to defer to Stockton and Malone once he was a Jazz member but he was definitely a star player.

BTW just picked up his autograph to go in a wall hanging that features Stockton, Malone and Hornacek's autographs and game used jersey cards. I have a lot of memorabilia from those guys and that era.

 

[hammystyle]

10-12M is low

David Lee is getting 13M per year. Rudy Gay is getting 16M per year. Noah just signed for 12M a year and I think the Bulls got a bargainby signing him early. If Horford hits the market I predict he gets around 14-15M per year.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

David Lee is getting 13M per year. Rudy Gay is getting 16M per year. Noah just signed for 12M a year and I think the Bulls got a bargainby signing him early. If Horford hits the market I predict he gets around 14-15M per year.

On the other hand, the owners are trying to reduce player salaries by 1/3 in the new CBA. If they got that done, the 10-12M you cite as low for Horford would be the equivalent of 15-18M.

 

[swisshh]

Al now is officially off the table.

Signed extension with Hawks

 

[Telemachus]

Al now is officially off the table.

Signed extension with Hawks

Yep, signed for 5 years at $60 million.

 

[Bricklayer]

Yep, signed for 5 years at $60 million.

Or $12mil/yr.

Who would've thunk?