This could be a match made in heaven. Keith Van Horn needed the 76ers, and the 76ers needed Keith Van Horn.

Philadelphia was desperate for somebody -- anybody -- who could make an outside shot and provide enough scoring to pull opposing defenses away from Allen Iverson. Van Horn may not be "The Answer", but for this problem, he was the answer.

Meanwhile, Van Horn needed a change of scenery and a shot at redemption. With teammate Kenyon Martin calling him out for being soft after the NBA Finals, it was clear that after five years, the Nets had seen enough of Van Horn. (Interesting fact: Van Horn averaged 7.5 rebounds per game, while Martin averaged 5.3.)

Of course, where there's smoke, there's fire. One of the reasons Van Horn vexed New Jersey fans was because he seemed to accomplish so much less than he was capable of. With his shooting skill, post game and leaping ability, Van Horn could be a high-scoring forward in the mold of Tom Chambers or Mike Mitchell. But he has yet to live up to the promise he showed during his second NBA season, when he finished fifth in the league in scoring with 21.8 points per game.

One reason fans in New Jersey gave Van Horn a hard time was that he seems too content to shoot jump shots and score in the mid-teens rather than taking players to the basket or posting up smaller defenders. He's also a poor passer who has yet to clear the lofty two-assist barrier during his five-year NBA career.

Van Horn is a below-average defensive player, but if he lived up to his offensive potential, that would be OK. Besides, he has guys like Greg Buckner and Aaron McKie who can take his man if a matchup is really giving him trouble.

When it comes to achieving his potential, he has an ally in head coach Larry Brown. Brown has a great track record of reaching underachieving players. McKie, Stanley Roberts, and Rik Smits all bloomed under his tutelage, and Van Horn may be next.

What Van Horn does this year will have a major impact on the 76ers, and in turn on the race for the Eastern Conference title. For that reason, Van Horn is one of the key players to watch in the Atlantic Division this season.

-- By John Hollinger, CNNSI.com