"There is no playbook," coach Maurice Cheeks said. "That playbook doesn't exist anymore."

The new playbook isn't necessarily built around Brand, the power forward signed in the summer as a free agent, but it is built to maximize use of his skills as a low-post player at both ends of the floor.

But the next step is always the hardest. In this case, the next step for the Sixers means emerging as a legitimate contender in the NBA's Eastern Conference rather than a team merely battling to become a playoff entrant.

Cheeks, starting his fourth season as the head coach and freshly armed with two $80 million men in Brand and Andre Iguodala, offered some insight into the 2008-09 season in a conversation with the Daily News. He'll offer more when he meets with reporters today in the Wachovia Center.

Q. How much has the arrival of Brand changed your preparation in terms of a projected offense and defense?

A. It changed a lot, because we didn't have a post-up player [last season]. We were pretty much perimeter-oriented, with the exception of posting Iguodala or [Samuel] Dalembert on occasion. We've put in a lot of things that will benefit him, and us as well, because of the way he's capable of playing on the block. But he's not always going to be on the block; he has a variety of skills, and we're going to make sure we utilize them.

Defensively, he brings us another shot-blocker to go with Sam, who's one of the premier shot- blockers in the league, and they both can defend one-on-one. With both of them, we can do something I've always liked, which is to be aggressive on the perimeter.

Q. Can Brand and Dalembert co-exist in a tight area around the basket, particularly since there are no knock-down shooters?

A. We were perimeter-oriented, but not because of our ability to knock down shots. We were able to drive the ball, to get to the middle of the paint, to get to the foul line. That's what we did, and that's what we're still going to do. Having said that, Elton is going to open up some areas for guys to get open shots. When Elton has the ball, Sam's not just to stand around, taking up space, and when Sam has the ball, Elton's going to be doing other things.

Q. Do you have specific expectations for the season?

A. I certainly see us as improved, but [the important part is], we were built on hard work, and with Elton also a hard worker that makes us even more hard-working. He helps us do some things I really like in terms of denying wing passes, pressuring the ball and blocking more shots.

Q. So you don't want to say what your own expectations are?

A. All we can do is the best we can, play as hard as we can to get to where we want to go. We can't take our mind-set from what [other] people say we can do. We have to believe in how good we can be, and try and reach that. I would be speaking prematurely [if I said more]. We're built as a team, not around one guy.

Q. Is there an X-factor that could help determine the success of the team?

A. Last year, we played at a fast pace, but didn't have a player to go to when [opponents] took that away. Elton becomes that X-factor. *