Al Horford is slowly getting back to his old self

I wrote about the surprising Hawks Monday, explaining why they are a real East threat at 17-7 despite playing an easy schedule. The one caveat in that piece: Al Horford, while still very good, has not been at his best after offseason shoulder surgery.

That’s why this play from the Hawks’ grind-it-out 93-86 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday is significant.

Very few players can defend the post that well, then run far ahead of their man on the break for an easy dunk. Horford, at his best, is one of them. Yes, this was against the slow Pau Gasol, but it’s also a sign Horford’s athleticism is returning.