Elton Brand was a much better choice than Josh Smith; Speights impresses in debut
After first hearing about the Elton Brand signing, I was thrilled, but was a also little disappointed that the Sixers didn't opt for Josh Smith instead. I thought Smith's youth and speed would be a better fit for Philadelphia's style of basketball. However, the acquisition of Brand was definitely the better move. First, Josh Smith wasn't a guarantee because he was a restricted free agent, so going after Smith instead of Brand would be a huge gamble. Second, Brand gives the team a leadership figure that the other forwards (Thaddeous Young, Jason Smith, Marreese Speights) can learn from. Third, Brand will help the team's half-court offense more than Smith could have, which was something that really hurt the Sixers in the Detroit series. Fourth, Brand and Dalembert will get more blocks and rebounds than Dalembert and Smith would have. Sixth, Brand's command for double teams will give Dalembert more opportunities to score. My only concern: I just hope that Brand isn't another Chris Webber.
This Philadelphia Inquirer article notes how thrilled the young Sixers are to have Elton Brand. The article also mentions that the 76ers played their first NBA Summer League game and the 76ers young rookie Marreese Speights impressed: 23 points, 13 rebounds. Thaddeus Young also had a solid game: 27 points, 6 rebounds. Jason Smith had 11 points and 9 rebounds. However, the Sixers lost to Golden State 96-89.
