Jon Horford – 2018-19 G-League Player Profile

June 20th, 2019

Jon Horford

C – 6’10, 245lbs – Born 16th October 1991

   Grand Rapids Drive   

For some reason, as soon as he turned professional, Al’s brother became an exceptional rebounder. Over the 93 regular season games of G-League experience he has had over pieces of the last four seasons, he has averaged 6.7 rebounds in only 17.7 minutes per game. Given the much more sedentary rebounding rate of his four college seasons between Michigan and Florida, this is a significant increase, and gives him a clear purpose at this level.

Michigan used to post Horford up, because Michigan used to post everybody over 6’8 up, because college basketball is antiquated. Horford was never good in this role; he lacked for speed and touch, was neither especially strong nor athletic, favoured his left despite being a right-handed shooter for some reason, could not pass out of the post and rushed to try and finish the shot against anyone with true length. Instead, when he transferred to the Gators, Horford felt empowered to start taking spot-up threes. He still does this, albeit not efficiently; that, plus some rolling to the basket and anything he can get off of his own offensive rebounding, is it this point the sum total of his offensive offerings. This is not a rim-runner, a shooter or a skill player. Instead, this is a hustler, in the best possible sense of the word.

Horford will go at the glass despite invariably losing either the speed or strength match-up with whoever is trying to contest him. Defensively, very slow feet make it difficult for him to hedge and recover, defend in space or close out to cover ground, and he is also not blessed with a shot blocking leap either. Yet in going to the defensive glass, taking up space in the lane, being a back-tapper and a screener, Horford fills a useful role as a backup centre. There just is no upside on top of it.

– 20th June, 2019

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