I began watching the Los Angeles Lakers/Atlanta Hawks game Wednesday night because I wanted to see how improved the Lakers and, in particular, their post play are with the addition of 7 foot, Spaniard Pau Gasol.

While watching, I was taken back by his athletic ability, his court vision, and his ability to go get a rebound.

But throughout the game, it wasn’t Gasol who surprised me with his basketball skill set. Instead, it was another post player…on the other team.

Al Horford was an absolute beast down low! The man-child with the big ears still may be rough around the edges, but from watching the Hawks this season I can say he is making quick adjustments to the NBA game and is progressing very well in his rookie season (the same of which can’t be said about most of the Hawks recent draft picks not named Josh Smith).

In last night’s game, he routinely snatched down rebounds as if it was second nature, often pulling them away from opponents and sometimes even his teammates. He finished the game with a career high 20 rebounds, and you can just tell he has tremendous strength in his hands and forearms when he yanks the ball out of the hands of a less physical post player like Gasol.

Many people are already ready to give the Rookie of the Year award away to Kevin Durant (see here, here, here, here, here, and a plethora of other places). But I’m one of the VERY minute minority, it appears at least, that thinks what Horford is doing with the Hawks is more impressive.

Durant is leading all rookies with 19.6 points per game, which is impressive, but also leads all rookies with 17.3 shots per game. The most shots Horford has taken in a single game is 14. He averages only 8.7 shots per game. Horford, on the other hand, leads all rookies in rebounds. He is averaging 9.8 per game and has over 150 more boards than Yi Jianlian, who is second in rebounds amongst rookies (Durant averages 4.2).

Horford also leads all rookies with 9 double-doubles (’Joke’im Noah is second with 3) while Durant has yet to record a double-double. This is after Durant recorded 20 last season (second most in the nation) while playing at the University of Texas.

Of course, the most intriguing argument in the Rookie of the Year debate is team success. Last season, both teams were at the very bottom of their respective divisions. This season with Horford, the Hawks have gone from a cellar dweller to a playoff contender (even if it is in the East) with a record approaching .500. With Durant, the Sonics have the third worst record in the league.

The Rookie of the Year debate aside, both players have been impressive this season. Both appear to have promising careers ahead of them with Durant possibly having a scoring title in his future. But enough about Durant’s future…Horford has a game that reminds me a lot of Dwight Howard (who is one of my personal favorites) in his rookie year, and I think the two are very comparable when looking at Howard’s inaugural season.

Compare their very similar stats…
04-05 Howard:

Year Team G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
04-05 ORL 82 82 32.6 0.520 0.000 0.671 3.5 6.5 10.0 0.9 0.9 1.7 2.01 2.80 12.0

07-08 Horford:

07-08 ATL 46 42 31.3 0.473 0.000 0.647 2.9 7.0 9.8 1.2 0.9 1.0 1.74 3.40 9.2

Like Howard, Horford plays the game with an old school mentality and passion (as can be noted by some of the hard fouls he has given, including one Wedneday against Lamar Odom late in the game). Both are tenacious on the glass.

One thing I really like about Horford is his natural instincts on a defensive rebound to immediately look up the court. Instead of searching the immediate area around him for the point guard, Horford is looking upcourt for the streaking swingmen the Hawks have in Josh Childress, Marvin Williams, Joe Johnson, and the electric Smith. He has great touch even on long passes enabling him to throw over and around opponents when pushing the ball up the court, but he is smart enough (even at this young stage in his career) to avoid throwing the ball away or into traffic if there isn’t a fastbreak opportunity. His quick outlets are vital because it is obvious to anyone watching the Hawks that they are best when they are running out in the open.

The 6′10″ Horford gives up an inch to Howard, who has been an imposing defensive presence since entering the league in 04-05. But Horford’s wingspan makes him seem bigger than he actually is, which is important on the defensive end for a Hawks team that plays a small lineup the majority of the time. While neither should pass up any back-to-the-basket, low-post lessons, Horford’s offensive game is probably more polished than Howard’s game currently is. Horford has better range than Howard, but the #1 pick of the 2004 draft has three years of experience on Horford despite only being six months older.

Howard is by far a better player at the present, and Horford will be hard-pressed to push Howard for being the top power forward/center in the Eastern Conference in the coming years, but it should be exciting for Hawks fans if Horford is playing well enough for people to consider the two in the same breath.

Shotgun Spratling

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