76ers: Collins suffering from concussion symptoms

Tonight in Cincinnati, Ohio, the 76ers play the Cleveland Cavaliers in a pre-season game. The news coming from Ohio this morning was that Sixers coach Doug Collins would not be coaching tonight's game. The Sixers announced that Collins flew back to Philly to see a doctor about symptoms he's having related to a concussion suffered over Memorial Day weekend (yes, that's in May).

In his place, associate head coach Michael Curry will coach tonight's game.

All indications are that this is a temporary leave of absence for Collins, who saw a neurologist to determine the cause of the symptoms. The Sixers announced that no decision has been made about Collins coaching tomorrow night's pre-season game against the New York Knicks at the Wells Fargo Center.

Here's what we do know: In talking to Collins' son, Chris Collins, an assistant coach at Duke, Chris said that his dad took a spill in Arizona and they think he suffered a concussion from it. Since then, he's had dizzy spells and perhaps the lifestyle change (i.e. spending 15 hours a day trying to figure out these Sixers) has amped up the symptoms.

Sixers President Rod Thorn said that "for the last few days he's had like a vertigo, some headaches, and hadn't been feeling well. Last night, evidently, he got up in the middle of the night and wasn't feeling well."

Thorn said Collins is going to "do some tests that will determine, along with how he feels, what happens next," but that the team is hopeful his absence will be short.

"I told him 'Good luck at the doctors office and we need you. We'll take care until you can get back,'" Curry explained before tonight's game. "This is from a preivous injury, with the headaches, according to him. They have to figure out why he's having those headaches and hopefully he's OK."