It's shame that Elton Brand isn't a jerk like Chris Webber or Derrick Coleman, as he joins the Sixers' pantheon of overprice and underperforming late-career power forwards, a long-running void that's one of a number of reasons that Philadelphia has been unable to take it to the next level in the NBA, outside of the charmed 2000-01 season. To that contrary, Brand is one of the classier individuals in the league, a team player who also gives back to the community. None of that is a reason to give the team's most highly paid and best-known star more minutes, not when it would be at the expense of the young up-and-comer Marresse Speights.
Last night, the second-year Speights almost single-handedly saved the Sixers from a defeat to the NBA's worst team right now:
Speights, a 6-10 power forward who can play center as the need arises, is gobbling large chunks of the significant, clutch-time minutes that figured to go to Brand. He scored 19 points, eight of which came in the final period, including the decisive three-point play when he rebounded a Thaddeus Young miss and scored on the putback with 1 minute, 10 seconds remaining.
The good news is that new coach Eddie Jordan gets it:
"He's just got great swag," Jordan said of Speights. "His confidence is soaring."
Speights wasn't about to disagree. He apparently enjoys being a go-to guy.
"I just want to go out there and play as hard as I can," said Speights, who added a team-high nine rebounds. "But if the ball comes to me, yeah, I'm going to try to score."
I'd love to see the 76ers admit the obvious and give Speights a shot as a starter, even if it meant Brand was now coming off the bench, the role he seems more suited for. It's a shame for Brand -- whose spirit is willing but body is depleted -- and it's a shame for Philadelphia sports fan, who watched the Sixers take their one chance in this entire decade to improve the team through free agency...and blow it, badly. Elton Brand isn't the Sixers' only problem -- there's a shooting guard without much of an outside shot, a center who plays 82 games but shows up for about 41, and a....Willie Green. Why is he still on this team? But of all the moves the 76ers could make, reducing Brand's role is both the easiest...and the hardest.
But it's time -- to rebrand the Philadelphia 76ers.
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
E-mail Will by clicking here.
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