
The practice facility in Camden has been filled with upperclassmen, including some who were barely on the draft radar until the pre-draft process. That fits with the sort of player they have had in during the pre-draft process. Oh, I need some shotmaking, the defense might not be there, something else may not be there, but I know I can get this from this rookie.'" " starts with a specific skill that can look down the bench and say, 'Alright, I need defense, I trust him. "We are definitely looking for some players that can compete for a spot in our top eight right now," Brand said. He compared the sort of player you're looking at when you select in the top five - one that you're often happy to wait on a little bit - to the type of guy the Sixers are looking at in the late first. 1 for Philadelphia on Thursday night will be to get players they can bank on to be contributors sooner rather than later.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51465429/513333.0.jpg)
And Thursday represents a big test for Brand, who will be at the helm of the franchise for his first NBA Draft ever.Īs his lieutenants have expressed before him, Brand made it clear that priority No. Front office members like Vince Rozman lead the scouting operation, Alex Rucker leads the analytics department, and everyone from low-level scouts to high-ranking officials hits the road to see prospects at some point.īut at the end of the day, the buck stops with Brand. The Sixers are a collaborative organization, and Brand will rely on the collective input of dozens of people when all is said and done. It was meant to be lighthearted, but there is some truth to that. "They have some say until I make the decision to say, forget about what you're saying, I need this guy," Brand joked to reporters.


But in the Western Conference, the power forwards are taller, faster, and stronger than they are in the East (Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki). Smith, at 6'9", is a small forward, but with Al Thornton already on the team, Smith will probably have to play the four spot.
#Elyon brand free
Now Davis is stuck on a team that lost its two best players in the first day of free agency and the best option on the market, forward Josh Smith, doesn't quite replace either player. He should have taken the Gilbert Arenas route, "what can I do with $127 million that I can't do with $111?" I personally don't mind the personal decision to take the money over loyalty, but if he indeed did lure Davis to LA, he should be ashamed of himself.īaron Davis could have stayed in Golden State with his contract and earned $17.4 million over the next year, or found another team (probably for less money, but at least a contender).īrand affected the life of another player with his agreement and backed-out for more money. However, Brand chose money over his word, leaving Davis high and dry.
