Section 215
Fansided

Al Horford already making Joel Embiid’s injuries easier to deal with

By Dan Parzych

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 23: Al Horford #42 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics race for the ball at Wells Fargo Center on October 23, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 23: Al Horford #42 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics race for the ball at Wells Fargo Center on October 23, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /
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Saturday’s win over the Detroit Pistons showed the importance of the Philadelphia 76ers having Al Horford when Joel Embiid is unable to play.

Back in the offseason when the Philadelphia 76ers convinced Al Horford to come on board after spending the last couple of years with the Boston Celtics, one of the main reasons for excitement was the pressure it would help take off Joel Embiid.

When healthy, Embiid has proven to be one of the best centers in the league, and his presence in the starting lineup always gives the Sixers a major advantage over opponents.

But unfortunately, staying healthy has been a problem for Embiid on numerous occasions throughout his career, and to top the frustration off, the star Philadelphia center was already missing in action during Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons.

While Brett Brown and company certainly made the right decision to rest Embiid due to an ankle injury in Detroit since it’s better to be safe than sorry, Sixers fans didn’t expect to see the injuries be an issue this early in the season.

Even if Philadelphia still managed to get the best of both worlds since they were able to rest Embiid while defeating Detroit 117-111, it’s still difficult not to wonder if the injuries, minor or not, are going to be a concern moving forward.

With that being said, if the Sixers were looking for a positive factor from the situation, it should be the addition of Horford to step up in these kinds of games when Embiid is out already seems to be paying off in a big way for Philadelphia.

The season is obviously still young for the Sixers since it’s only been two games, and this is a team with plenty to prove over these next few months, but watching Horford torch the Pistons for 23 points to go along with nine rebounds and five assists was huge.

Rightfully so, the excitement surrounding Horford was already high due to his defensive abilities, but these numbers also show the veteran brings plenty of other stuff to the table as well.

Obviously, the Sixers prefer to have both Embiid and Horford healthy enough to play together as much as possible, but at least Saturday was the perfect example of how Philadelphia can still get by when necessary.

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Hopefully by Monday when Philadelphia faces another difficult challenge against the Atlanta Hawks, Embiid will be healthy enough to go, but at least if he needs another game of rest, Horford will be ready to step up once again if needed.