Over the last decade we’ve loved Al Harrington for the offensive juggernaut that he is. From re-igniting the Highlight Factory with the Atlanta Hawks, to dropping 20 points a night for the New York Knicks, Harrington rekindles the fire of every organization he’s a part of.
His most recent being the Denver Nuggets, as his resurgence led to sixth man of the year candidacy and his veteran leadership proved to be a major stepping stone in the teams emergence as a powerhouse in the West.
And while Harrington may have lost a step at age 32, posting 14.2 points and 6.1 rebounds in only 27 minutes per game is just flat out impressive. He also shot a relatively efficient clip at right around 45% on the season, which is pretty remarkable considering he was the focal point of Denver’s secondary.
However, he should see those numbers only continue trending upward as he will be the most dynamic and seasoned scoring option in the Orlando Magic’s frontcourt this season. Expecting a solid 18 points and 6 boards from him on any given night would hardly be a stretch. Although the rotations will probably be very shaky early on and head coach Jacque Vaughn might play his young prospects as the season progresses in favor of their development.
That said, his return to the East will be to an organization that is in shambles, both lacking an identity and any true direction. Fortunately, I seriously doubt Harrington will see it that way.
Harrington will see opportunity. He will see an opportunity to help shape a new culture in Orlando. To mentor a young man much like himself in Andrew Nicholson. As well as continue his tutelage of former Denver teammate Arron Afflalo, who joins Harrington via Dwight Howard.
But mostly, he’ll do exactly what he’s made a career of. In the words of Gus Johnson:
“My name is Al Harrington, I get buckets”.