Healthy or hexed? Sixers hope for positive Brand recognition
PHILADELPHIA -- Elton Brand finished getting a few extra shots up -- the last guy off the court, as usual -- and strode toward the sideline. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he leaned over to greet his visitor.
Each drop seemed to symbolize the ticking of a clock, the countdown to a moment when Brand can reclaim what he believes is his rightful place among the elite players in basketball. It has been a long wait, one fraught with grueling rehab, a welcome change of scenery and unbearable disappointment. The journey never gets any easier, yet the work has rarely felt this good.
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| 'He's getting it,' new coach Eddie Jordan says of Elton Brand and the Princeton offense. (AP) |
It's a beginning that offers few clues as to how the story will end.
Will Brand shake off two consecutive seasons ruined by injury and re-establish himself as one of the premier post players in the NBA? Will this 30-year-old specimen of work ethic and leadership deliver an emphatic reminder to those who've forgotten about him? Will he justify the $80 million, five-year contract he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers two summers ago, or slip perilously down a slope that has tilted in favor of more youthful challengers since Brand was last a dominant force?
"They forget very fast," Brand said, "as they should. You've got superstars and young talents in this game who've really played well. They'll come and take your spot. You have to be the type of player that wants it. I'll sleep in this gym if that's what I need to do. We've got the same type of guys on this team that'll do the same thing. I'm here to take that spot back and be an elite player again."
By "here," Brand meant the practice gym on the campus of Saint Joseph's University, which straddles Philadelphia's exclusive Main Line. That was the setting for the Sixers' training camp and, in turn, for Brand's attempt at rebirth.
"I see leadership, I see a physical presence, I see a comforting presence," said new coach Eddie Jordan, who has brought relevance to the Sixers along with his trademark Princeton offense. "I see a guy who can get his shot off against taller players, faster players, quicker players. And he's talking a lot and he's a very good rebounder and shot blocker."
But is he healthy? The Sixers' medical staff put Brand through everything short of an autopsy before signing him away from the Clippers in 2008, and their due diligence paid off in at least one respect. The Achilles' tendon injury that forced Brand to miss all but eight games in 2007-08 wasn't the problem. But in only his 29th game with the Sixers, Brand dislocated his right shoulder and was out for the season again.
Of even more concern, Brand wasn't exactly fitting in with then-coach Maurice Cheeks' up-tempo offense when he got hurt. The Sixers had gone to the 2008 playoffs with a run-and-gun approach that didn't easily absorb the inside-out style that was more suitable to Brand's post-up talents. So Cheeks was replaced by Tony DiLeo, who was replaced by Jordan. And here we are, on the precipice of something -- but we're not quite sure what.
The Sixers haven't been bad enough -- or drafted well enough -- to have a truly impactful lottery pick since 1996, when they chose Allen Iverson No. 1 overall. Cap space that could be used to attract a top-flight free agent next summer is tied up in Brand and Samuel Dalembert, who already is barking about his role and playing time, making him even less tradable.
Out is point guard Andre Miller, who signed with Portland without so much of a whimper of protest from the Sixers front office. Enter Jordan and his motion offense, which doesn't require a traditional point guard but does call for relentless cutting and movement. It's the classic case of taking what the defense gives you, with constant emphasis on moving the ball away from the pressure until the best possible look at the basket is achieved. Jordan hopes Brand gets his fair share of those looks, even though he has never played in a system remotely similar.
"He's getting it," Jordan said. "He sees that if he can run just a little bit more, a little bit harder, a little bit longer, he'll get better post-ups in the open floor. He's finding out that if he learns how to cut in the offense, his post-ups [on the blocks] will be easier. He's learning that if he can kick it out as a passer from the post, he'll score a little easier. But the fact that he can get his shot off is really important to us. That's the skill level he brings."
Brand also brings what he described recently as a weight on his shoulders, which was a curious statement for a player with his résumé: consensus player of the year at Duke, No. 1 overall pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1999, Team USA member in 2006 for the FIBA World Championships and two-time All-Star. Over the past 20 years, Brand is one of only five NBA players to average 20 points and 10 rebounds for their careers, joining Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and David Robinson.
The importance of this season isn't lost on Brand or his new coach.
"I think he's relating that to coming to one of the respected basketball environments in the country in Philadelphia," Jordan said. "I think he's referring to the fact that he's got a significant contract. The fact that he's counted on to be a leader. The fact that this team has gone to the playoffs two years in a row without him. The fact that the goals he's put on this team and this team has put on itself are very high. So it's all of that combined. But there's good pressure and bad pressure. And I think this is good pressure."
In this way, Brand is simply one of several stars trying to re-establish themselves after significant injuries: Garnett, Gilbert Arenas, Tracy McGrady, Amar'e Stoudemire. Brand's case promises to be among the most intriguing, simply because of how much the Sixers have invested in him and how far his production had fallen last season before he got hurt. When Brand went down, he was averaging a career-low 13.8 points per game and the Sixers were reeling with a 12-17 record. Without him, they went 29-24 the rest of the way, made the playoffs and put a scare into the Magic in the first round before falling in six games.
"Definitely the playoffs, not being able to help, that was a low point for sure," Brand said.
And the high point of his comeback?
"There hasn't been an 'a-ha moment,' because it doesn't count yet," Brand said. "I feel good, I look great, but until we start the real season, no 'a-ha moments.' You can't really take any positives out of this, except that I'm healthy."
That's the first step, but not the last one. Not even close. Brand said playing only 37 games the past two seasons has done his body some good. But he's out to do much more than simply stay on the floor.
"You're on a team that doesn't make the playoffs, and it's like, 'OK, when is Brand gonna make the playoffs?'" said Brand, who helped the Clippers end a long postseason drought in 2006. "And then you work your ass off ... and you make the All-Star Game on an elite team in the West; the West is tough. Then you get hurt that next season, after [Team] USA games and all that. And then you get hurt again. But you still have that same fervor you always have when you love this game."
It's a game that hasn't been very good about returning the love lately.
