Al Horford will Open Second Half Coming Off the Bench

In the Sixers final game before the All-Star break, Al Horford came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season .

It was a move that many feel helped the Sixers space the floor, giving more room for Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris while Horford ran with the second unit, giving them added depth and experience.

Horford shined, scoring nine points with six rebounds, three assists, two blocks in 28 minutes.

Now it seems like his role will remain coming off-the-bench.

Horford told reporters today the coaching staff informed him that he will remain with the second unit moving forward.

"I don't think it changes much to be honest," Horford explained to reporters on Wednesday. "I'm going out there and defensively setting the tone for our group, making sure I am helping people on the defensive end.  Offensviley wherever I get my spots, make plays, be ready to shoot."

“It’s what the team needs right now,” Horford acknowledged. “And that’s what we’re doing.”

On Friday's edition of The Sports Bash, ESPN NBA analyst Tim Legler joined the show and discussed Hordford's role off-the-bench, and how it helped the Sixers.

"Yeah defiantly Al wasn't playing well and he knows that and people know that and teams were watching it," Legler explained. "They needed to get more spacing. You got Joel, Ben and Al out there, Three guys who are most comfortable inside the foul line that's a problem for team spacing especially for the other two guys."

So who takes Horford's spot in the lineup?

“I think, at times, it will be dependent upon matchups,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown told reporters on Wednesday. "I'm not married to it as a be all and end all.  I intend to peruse what you saw against the Clippers more than not."

The options would seem to be Furkan Korkmaz, who started the game last week.  Rookie Matisse Thybulle, or newcomers Glenn Robinson II or Alec Burks.

The Sixers are back from the NBA All-Star break tomorrow night, 8 p.m. against the Brooklyn Nets, listen on 97.3 ESPN.