IS STOCKPILING DEFENSEMEN
Sixers forward Elton Brand will be in the starting lineup for tonight's game, coach Eddie Jordan confirmed when he met with the media a little bit ago.
Speculation was that Brand, who signed with the club for five years and $80 million before last season, would be relegated to the bench to begin the game against Charlotte at the Wachovia Center and the Sixers would go in favor of a faster lineup.
Brand had been practicing at the center position this week with the second-team, while Rodney Carney had been running with the starters.
Perhaps it means more minutes for Brand, who could be part of several players trying to fill the void left by Marreese Speights, who is out six to eight weeks with a partial tear of the MCL in his left knee. It likely means an expanding role for Carney, especially because Jordan has indicated a fondness for his Carney's defense.
Jordan acknowledged that their has been a lot of soul-searching as far as the rotation goes, and said that they need to be patient with Brand, who has been hampered by injuries the past two seasons.
For now, Brand remains a starter.
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
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