Metro Feb 5, 2009
Adam Levitan
Somthing is amiss with Elton Brand. That much is certain. Exactly what is
going on with the Sixers' $80 million man is up for debate.
After Brand didn't play a single minute in the second half of Tuesday's loss
of to the Celtics, the team said the shoulder he dislocated on Dec. 17
"stiffened up."
He had an MRI yesterday morning which showed the shoulder is "healing as
exapected," according to a team spokesman. He will meet with Dr. Craig Morgan
, the man who performed his Achiles surgery, today. He is listed as
day-to-day and his status for tonight's game against the Pacers is
questionable.
"It's difficult not knowing if he's 100 percent or not," said coach Tony DiLeo
after yesterday's practice. "Our plan was and still is to work him in slowly,
get him in in spurts and gradually build up his playing time until we put him
back into a starting position."
But, if Brand was playing well and doing what he was signed to do, wouldn't he
have already been in the starting lineup? Surely, he would have been in there
for most of the second half Tuesday. This "shoulder stiffness" isn't totally
made up, but it's not the whole story.
DiLeo said that shutting Brand down to let him get completely healthy isn't on
his mind. He also said that even if Brand did have to be shut down, the team
is deep enough as currently constructed. Which means they won't make a deal
Feb. 19 trading deadline.
Right now, the Sixers are a better team without Brand. The real question is
whether it's because of his shoulder, his Achilles, or simply his game.
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