Sixers play the Houston Rockets tonight in the second game of this very tough two-game swing. We'll be chatting today at 3:30 p.m. If you have a few minutes, click here: Sixers Chat.

Since the 76ers left Philadelphia, it's been an interesting 48 hours. A few observations, things of note, and potential Live Chat topics:

1.) Elton Brand. If you're a Sixers fan, you've already heard what Chad Ford said yesterday on his ESPN chat. Basically, he said his NBA sources have told him that the Sixers have made Brand available. This isn't earth-shattering news because most NBA players are available -- for the right offer. But one would think if Ford's people are telling him the Sixers have made Brand available, then it seems the Sixers have specifically made Brand available (rather than so-and-so team going to the New Orleans Hornets and offering their entire starting lineup plus nine future first-round picks in exchange for Chris Paul). This leads to two questions: 1.) What could the Sixers actually get for Brand? Or must they be willing to take back an undesirable contract of their own. The truth is that Brand's stock has plummeted since his free-agent signing. And trading him right now would be a clear-cut admission that his signing was a mistake. 2.) Should the Sixers trade Brand? I think it's too early. I think it's too early in his return from the injury. I think -- at the very least -- he needs until the All-Star break to see how he may or may not respond. Everything I've heard leads me to believe that the Sixers will not make a move before the break, which is obviously also around the trade deadline (3 p.m. EST, Feb. 19).

2.) More Brand talk: Let's get back to his actual on-court play. I understand the necessity to get him minutes right now. Obviously, you have to give him an opportunity to find a rhythm and work back from the injury. But Tony DiLeo made it clear they would not sacrifice games to bring him along. Well, at this point, not playing Marreese Speights is a negative impact on this team. Speights played only 3 minutes against the New Orleans Hornets. I understand he's the odd man out in this campaign to reacclimate Brand. But he needs to play at least 12 minutes a game. Okay, so that point wasn't actually "More Brand talk" but rather "More Brand talk plus Marreese Speights."

3.) Tonight's game: This game is really important. Not only is it the last very tough challenge (the Sixers next two games are at home against the Wizards and the Nets) until Feb. 3, but the Sixers have already beaten this team. And that was without Brand. Could we have a clearer picture of his impact? The Sixers beat Houston earlier this month. They outscored them on fast break points 29-9. There are two X factors: This game is in Houston, and the Rockets were missing Ron Artest last game. But if the Rockets were missing Artest and the Sixers were missing Brand, then this should be an even matchup. Also, that New Orleans game on Monday wasn't very good. The Sixers can't take another step backwards. They need to plant their feet tonight.

4.) Thaddeus Young. He was chosen to compete for the sophomore team in the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge at All-Star weekend.  It looks as if he will be the only Sixer in Phoenix for All-Star weekend. The game is Feb. 13.

--Kate

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Here are a few photos I promised. Fear not basketball junkies, there are a few hoops ones sprinkled into the mix. If you're looking for strictly X's and O's about tonight's game against the New Orleans Hornets, check out my blog from early this afternoon. Should be right before this slideshow.

I call this photo essay "New Orleans" ... and I remind everyone that I claim no photography skills.

--Kate

It seems as if Saturday is, finally, the day for Elton Brand's return. I only say "finally" because it seems Brand has been a game-time decision for a while now. Okay, actually, he has been a game-time decision for a while: For the last three games.

The 76ers have kept him sidelined an extra week or thereabouts to allow that dislocated right shoulder to receive the "optimal" recovery time, which is around 6 weeks.

Today, the Sixers held an "optional" practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Brand participated. Tomorrow, the Sixers will return to regular practice, where Brand is expected to scrimmage full-court, 5-on-5 for the first time since his injury on Dec. 17 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Brand has been practicing since early last week. Today, though, Sixers coach Tony DiLeo said tomorrow would be the first time Brand would be full-court, 5-on-5. Interesting. We know he's been playing 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3, and 5-on-5 ... half-court. I was surprised to find out this would be his first time scrimmaging full-court. They have definitely been protecting that shoulder and making sure it's fully healed.

About Saturday, which is against the New York Knicks at the Wachovia Center, DiLeo said he was "planning" on having Brand. He also said Brand would come off the bench in "short stints" of four, five, maybe six minutes. Brand said he understood this role coming off the bench. He said he understands that run-and-gun has led to this turnaround (from 13-20 to 20-21). He said he's all about winning.

In case we've forgotten -- it has been a while -- Brand was leading the team in scoring at the time of his injury; he was averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds a game.

--Kate

p.s. A funny quote from Lou Williams today about yesterday's happenings in Washington: “It was kind of interesting to me because growing up it was kind of a joke to African-American people to have a black president. But then out of nowhere it’s like all of a sudden we have one. It was surreal to watch, just to look at the moment. The reaction from my peers, my best friends, people I grew up with was, ‘Is this really happening?”

As Elton Brand has alluded to for the past few days, he will miss at least one more game -- today's against the Dallas Mavericks. With Brand sidelined again, he will receive the added rest provided by the 76ers four-day layoff: They don't play again until Saturday against the New York Knicks.

Since last week's game against the San Antonio Spurs, Brand has mentioned that sitting through today's game would offer him the "optimal" recovery time for a dislocated right shoulder: six weeks. Brand dislocated the shoulder on Dec. 17, a win against the Milwaukee Bucks. Today, Sixers coach Tony DiLeo said that resting Brand today is best for the long-term:

"Our medical staff thinks the longer we can give him, the better it is for the long-term," DiLeo said.

The Sixers said they are "planning" on Brand returning to the lineup on Saturday. And, unlike last Wednesday, all signs seem to point to that game being Brand's return.

With Brand's absence, the questions about how his return will affect the streaking Sixers (winners of seven straight), can be pondered during the week. Yes, the Sixers have been 9-6 since his injury (counting that Dec. 17 win against the Milwaukee Bucks as a victory with Brand), including a seven-game win streak. But, let's put those questions aside and look at today's game.

How can the Sixers (20-2) defeat the Dallas Mavericks (23-17) and bump their record to above-.500 for the first time since they were 7-6 in late November?

The answer is pretty simple these days: Play the same way they've been playing. It's really not going to take a supreme effort, but rather the same effort that has somehow become commonplace. The one point I'll make is the free throw shooting. The Sixers were 15 for 27 against the Knicks. They're not going to be able to beat the Mavericks shooting that percentage. They just can't give away 12 points to a good Western Conference team.

But, in fairness, the Sixers had been shooting very well from the free throw line before that game.

My feeling about this game is that it's the end of a long stretch where the Sixers have played a lot of games. I'd be surprised if we didn't see "someone else" contribute in a big way today. I think we'll see Reggie Evans, Willie Green, or Samuel Dalembert come up with a big game to take some slack from Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Thad Young, Lou Williams, etc.

Time for the game.

--Kate

p.s. That photo is of Dirk Nowitzki shooting before the game. I like that photo, it shows how much he uses his legs on his shot. Let me clarify, I like it enough to post it on my blog, not enough to enter it into a photography contest. My standards are low.

Elton Brand will remain on the sidelines for tonight's game against the New York Knicks. We talked last night (before the game against the San Antonio Spurs) about Brand's injury and when he might return to the lineup. While the Sixers have flourished (win streak!), we have also discussed when Brand might return and what that return might mean.

I think, at this point, we have to look to next Saturday's home game against these same New York Knicks as Brand's return to the lineup. It makes no sense right now to bring Brand back for one game against the Dallas Mavericks when they could hold him out until the following Saturday. Last night, Brand said the "optimal" recovery time for his dislocated right shoulder is six weeks. Today, we're at about 4 1/2 weeks (a little bit more I suppose .... he injured the shoulder on Dec. 17). If Brand can continue to rehab until next Saturday, he'll have reached the maximum recovery time for the injury he suffered.

Considering the Sixers are doing fine while he's recovering, this is the game plan for which I vote.

Speaking with the Sixers before the game, I think they understand that the early-season struggles came from forcing Brand into the offensive equation.

From Lou Williams: "I think we were force feeding, trying to fit him in ... when he comes back he'll come fit in with us."

So, Brand's return is on pause for another night. But the win streak isn't. Sure, the New York Knicks don't exactly inspire fear into the hearts of millions, but I think it's a tough match for the Sixers because of the Knicks' run-and-gun style.

I know I don't often offer predictions, but I will tonight: Sixers by 8 (It's a Philadelphia weekend ... )

--Kate

Elton Brand will still be in street clothes for tonight's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

When will he return? Goodness, I thought I had the answer to that question ... but then a few minutes later, it seemed there was no answer.

First, Sixers coach Tony DiLeo said that Brand would have played tonight if it wasn't the front end of a back-to-back (Sixers play the New York Knicks tomorrow night in NYC). DiLeo also said that unless Brand's right shoulder doesn't feel good tomorrow night, he'll be planning.

"We're planning for tomorrow," were DiLeo's exact words.

Okay, question answered, right? Brand isn't playing tonight, but unless something crazy goes down, he'll be playing against the Knicks tomorrow.

Five minutes later, we spoke with Brand.

"We're still trying to get some, I guess I would say, time to test it ... 1 on 1, 3 on 3, banging ..." Brand said.

Brand said he would have tried to go tonight, but, at the end of the day, it's a combined decision, and a long-term decision. Here's where the confusion comes. We asked what the chances would be that he plays tomorrow against the Knicks.

After a long pause, Brand said, "50-50."

That was surprising, considering it sounded, minutes earlier, as if the chance of Brand playing was more like at 90 percent. Here's the issue. Brand said the full healing time of his injury (dislocated right shoulder) is six weeks. He's been resting for 4-1/2 weeks. Brand said 6 weeks would be "optimal."

Well, if "at the end of the day" this is a long-term decision, why would Brand return sooner than six weeks? Furthermore (this word makes me sound like a lawyer), if you look at the Sixers schedule, if the Sixers hold Brand out of the lineup until after Monday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, he'll receive the benefit of a four-day layoff between games. That would put him right around six weeks.

Brand's reaction to this scenario seemed to say it was a possibility.

"The more it heals," Brand said. "The less of a chance it can slip out."

So there you have it: Brand is playing tomorrow night. But maybe he's not.

Tonight's game: Sixers vs. Spurs. Can the Sixers make it six straight? Here are my keys to winning this game:

1.) Hold the Spurs to less than seven three-pointers. I know they are deadly from the outside, but I think seven is reasonable.

2.) The bench has to score at least 25 points. Yes, that can come solely from Lou Williams and Marreese Speights, if it must.

3.) Less than 13 turnovers. The Sixers had nine against the Portland Trailblazers. That's a great number, but not realistic on a nightly basis.

Time for tip off.

--Kate

p.s. Also of note: How interesting is it that, three weeks ago, a game against the San Antonio Spurs would be checked off as a loss, no questions asked. If I predicted otherwise, you guys would think I was crazy. Now, while the Sixers might still lose, we all expect a strong performance and, quite possibly, a victory.

Not only have the 76ers not lost since the last time we held a Live Chat, they haven't lost since Jan. 3. That's 12 days. In Sixer-land that's a heck of a long time.

We hope it doesn't break the momentum, but we're having a Live Chat today at 3:30 p.m. If you can join, click here: Sixers Chat.

Given the last two games: sizable wins over the Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trailblazers, I'd say there is reason for optimism. I would not say the Sixers have turned a corner (so to speak), but they are absolutely playing their best basketball of the season. Here are the topics, I believe, worth discussing:

1.) Why don't I believe the Sixers have officially turned the corner? Let's be clear, I think the Sixers are on their way. I think they are playing basketball that is not only effective, but fun to watch. I think these five games are a legitimate winning streak because they've defeated three above-.500 teams along the way -- and won two away games. My point is that I still think were about five weeks from being able to expect this type of play from the Sixers. Every game. As we all remember, it was about 32 games of frustrating basketball, before we got to these six games (I'm tossing in the San Antonio loss). I think the Sixers have to get themselves above .500 and continue, for the most part, this improved play through the All-Star break Feb. 12-16. I say "for the most part" because it would be absurd to expect performances like last night (21-point win over a good team) on a nightly basis. No, all we need to see is the framework of that effort -- swarming defense, rhythmic offense, pushing the ball upcourt -- because some nights the shot just isn't going to be there. I asked Andre Miller if he thought this team was "around the corner" (I can't think of a non-cliche to convey this idea) and he said not yet. He said this effort needs to be sustained over a longer stretch. And this leads us to the next point ...

2.) The return of Elton Brand. I think it's really easy to say the Sixers are better without him. Too easy. So easy it feels like a trap. Everywhere the Sixers travel, I'll speak with folks there. They all laugh at the notion that Brand's return won't improve the Sixers. And I agree. While I may not "laugh" at the notion -- because the Sixers sure do look better these last few weeks -- I remain of the belief that Brand's return will make the Sixers better. Why? It's simple: He's a very good player. And while sometimes the attitude and ego of a good player makes his impact more negative than positive, I just don't see Brand allowing that to happen. But, I do believe how Tony DiLeo uses Brand, and how he lets it impact the guys who have played so well in his absence, is crucial. And since DiLeo has shown nothing but deft touch with the rotation and in-game management, this does not keep me up at night. He knows, as well as we do, that Marreese Speights still needs minutes. He knows Reggie's hustle has sparked a number of great defensive possessions. He has a lot to manage, but he's already said Brand's minutes, at first, will be in limited segments to see how his body reacts.

3.) The outside shooting. Eleven for 23? Excuse me? Three weeks ago I would have assumed that number was the free throw total. But during the game, it doesn't seem that amazing because the Sixers are playing in rhythm. We talked about the Sixers inability to find this rhythm during the early schedule. If you know basketball, as most here do, you can feel this rhythm while playing or watching. You can feel the rhythm of an offensive possession when someone takes the correct shot, off the perfect pass, in the right spot. These are the shots the Sixers are taking now: And the percentage of making the correct shot within an offensive possession is much greater than when you force the wrong shot.

4.) A hodge-podge of other topics: Samuel Dalembert played great -- in his way -- last night. He defended the basket. Lou Williams is playing awesome off the bench. And he's playing strong defense, too. Royal Ivey's three-point play last night in the fourth quarter, to bump the game from 9 to 12 points, was huge. I think it was the play of the game ... the play that kept the game from getting to one or two possessions.

The Sixers are still flying under the radar because the Eagles are soaring. But if you have a few minutes, stop by at 3:30.

--Kate