NBA Predictions: Hawks Fans Expect Horford to Stay Healthy

     The fact is that, no matter how good a player you are, some fans begin to lose faith in your overall athletic ability over time if you happen to suffer from injuries that keep you off the court for too long. The almost automatic feeling is "This guy will be too rusty to make any immediate impact" or "He's all washed up". Hortford has heard them all, and still bravely continues to push forward in doing what he loves, and that's play the game of basketball. In your NBA predictions for guys who can greatly assist their team, #15 Al Horford would be someone that you'd readily say could make a big difference.

    Horford has always been one of the hardest working players every time those size 17 shoes touched the court, and those who have not lost faith in his abilities feel that this power forward will make a huge difference in Atlanta's win/loss record for 2015. Even after missing 53 games due to a torn pectoral (right) and the grueling surgery that came along with it, avid Hawk watchers believe that if Al can stay healthy he'll get back to that outstandingly high level of play that they remember from over a year ago.

    Before the injury, the tough guy from the Dominican Republic had nine double doubles during the 2013-14 season. It makes you wonder how things would have turned out in Atlanta if he hadn't gotten hurt. We want to see the man from 2012-13, the year when he averaged more rebounds than he ever did before with 10 a game, and would complement those boards with 17 pts every four quarters. For more info on picks, go to www.jrtips.com. 

    One thing is for sure - Al will come back and perform to the best of his physical ability now that he is medically cleared to suit up. He's a fighter, one that can deliver that 10 or 15 points a game for the Hawks and also display great blocking ability and grab frequent defensive rebounds (Horford's ranked 7th all-time in the organization for boards and 8th all-time for blocks). All in all, Atlanta Hawk fans want to see how he moves on the court this year, examine his full recovery through his gameplay, and see if he'll be able to perform effectively for the entire season in 2015. To receive 7 days of free sport picks delivered straight to your email, visit www.jrtips.com.