Brand Done For Season

Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand will miss the rest of the regular season because of his upcoming shoulder surgery. Brand was signed in the offseason after having successful seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, including getting the Clippers to Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns. He revitalized the Clippers that year, as the Clippers have always been a struggling franchise.

Brand's shoulder injury occurred in December against the Milwaukee Bucks. He landed awkwardly on his shoulder, and did some damage to it. He opted for rehabilition instead of surgery, so he missed about a month. He returned in late January but wasn't effective at all. In his last game against the Boston Celtics, he only played eight minutes and didn't score. Currently, the 76ers are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

This is troubling for the 76ers. They paid Brand $80 million over 5 years and this is what he gives them in half a season. It wasn't like he was effective when he was healthy either. Brand hasn't blended into the 76ers style of play and I question whether they should've gotten him in the first place. The 76ers are probably feeling like the Washington Wizards. The Wizards paid guard Gilbert Arenas $111 million over six years, and hasn't stepped on the court since he signed that contract. The 76ers will now have to evaluate their performance without Brand and see if they can play effectively without him.