Sixers turn to Antonio Daniels to fill in for Lou Williams

For the most part, the Sixers have not been hurt by injuries this season. Sure, there have been some here and there, most notably the right knee tendinitis swingman Andre Iguodala has labored through, and the Achilles' injury that cost him 13 games. But, nothing that's really thrown the season off-kilter.

However, the strained right hamstring injury that Lou Williams suffered Saturday night in Milwaukee is more severe, mainly because of its timing. With just five regular-season games left, including tonight's in Boston, Williams said yesterday that he won't be returning before the playoffs begin, which will be around April 16.

Because of Williams' injury, the Sixers were expected to sign veteran guard Antonio Daniels to a 10-day contract at some point last night. Sixers coach Doug Collins said there is a possibility Daniels will be available tonight.

Daniels, 36, was playing this season with the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He is a veteran of 12 NBA seasons, having played 868 games, averaging 7.6 points and 3.4 assists. The 6-4 point guard will be eligible to play in the playoffs, should the Sixers need him. That could depend on how quickly Williams can get himself back on the court.

"I'm not sure about the timetable," Williams said after yesterday's practice at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "I know I'm out for the regular season. It's frustrating because I'm a gamer. I like to compete and I like to be around the guys. It's frustrating [for the injury] to be at the end of the season. The positive about it is I can come back fresh for the playoffs."

He hopes. Williams has been a mainstay for Collins off the bench, along with Thaddeus Young, providing the Sixers with tremendous scoring lift. Now, along with the addition of Daniels, Collins will have to try to find who he likes playing together on the court. It means much more playing time for rookie Evan Turner, who has averaged just over 7 minutes a game over the past seven games, including two DNPs.

"Injuries are a part of this game," Collins said. "We have to have guys who will fill in. Evan will get a chance to play a lot of minutes, so he'll get back in the swing of things. I'll just have to figure out how I'm going to get guys out there together. "

Williams sees this as a great opportunity for Turner and said that the team's confidence in him is strong. And Williams will be there to help in any way he can.

"Today was Evan's practice," he said. "I think everyone kind of rallied around him to help get his mind right. When you're dealing with a guy who has had some success and is not playing, it's always an adjustment. Evan, coming to the end of his first season, has dealt with some of that. I think this will be a great opportunity for him to get his wheels going again, get his confidence back and help this team. We're a team. Guys get along great. It's no secret about that. We love Evan as one of our own. Hopefully, he can get it together."

In case he can't, Daniels, who was expected to arrive in Boston last night after flying from Dallas, should provide some relief.

"It feels good to have an opportunity to play again at this level," said Daniels, who last played in the NBA in 2008-09. "It's hard to say what they expect from me. That will really be on them. From what I've heard from coach Collins, they are looking for veteran leadership, a good voice in the locker room, be someone who can stabilize the team when I'm on the floor. I will be a solid player for them. I'll join up with them at [today's] shootaround and try to learn their terminology. The one thing about the NBA is that it's all terminology. The majority of the teams run the same sets, now it's just up to me to learn the Sixers' terminology."

While Collins is figuring out rotations and Daniels is learning terminology, Williams will be wishing he could do more.

"I think it was one of those things that just happened," he said of the injury. "I stay stretched out. When I was out on the court, for whatever reason, my hamstring just gave out on me. I guess I've got a golf ball-sized knot back there. It's just a matter of getting rest and staying off it. I can do nothing. The best treatment for this type of injury is just to stay off of it."

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