Philadelphia 76ers big man Al Horford hasn't came off the bench since his 2007 rookie year with the Atlanta Hawks. The five-time All-Star has started in 831 of his 835 career games but now, in his 13th NBA season, the Sixers center will roll with the second unit once again.
For their Tuesday game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Sixers will turn to third-year pro Furkan Korkmaz to replace Horford in the starting lineup. Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid, Josh Richardson and Ben Simmons will join Korkmaz as starters, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Korkmaz's play has lifted the Sixers to wins in their last two games, as he has scored a combined 65 points in the two matchups while coming off the bench.
In his first season with Philadelphia, Horford's fit with the team has come into question at times. The 33-year-old big man is averaging 12.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting a career-low 43.8 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Horford has struggled even more in recent games. In five games during the month of February, the former Hawk is putting up just 8.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting a paltry 30.6 percent from the field.
Al Horford and the Sixers have been among one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season. While Philadelphia has a record of 33-21, the team is the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and does not look as strong as many thought they would going into the season.
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