Remember When We Wanted Elton Brand?
Elton Brand (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
For nearly the entire off-season, we pondered about who the ideal addition would be for the Cavaliers. One of the biggest names in the free agent market was (then) Los Angeles’ Elton Brand. Danny Ferry didn’t have much money to work with, so we were forced to settle for the Mo Williams trade. While it did not exactly add a big man, check out the news coming out of Philly:
So much for whether the 76ers will be able to adjust to Elton Brand.
Brand is scheduled undergo season-ending surgery Monday to repair a torn labrum in the shoulder he dislocated Dec. 17 against Milwaukee. The team’s prized free-agent signee returned Jan. 24 against New York but clearly has not been 100 percent. He averaged just 5.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 18 minutes off the bench in the six contests since returning from a 16-game absence.
The Sixers spent a ton of money (five years, $80 million) on a guy that was coming off of an Achilles injury. He played in just 29 games this season.
The other big free agent target for Cavs fans? Monta Ellis, who just started playing for the season after signing a huge contract with Golden State. Michael Redd? Yep, he’s done for the season as well. Talk about unanswered prayers…
–
Sixers Lose Brand for Season [CSNPhilly.com via The700Level]
February 5th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Scott, good call – this is further proof that ‘09 is the Cavs year. All the injuries you listed are ones emblematic of our usual down-and-out luck. This time the cards have fallen our way, thanks to a combination of luck, the power of Lebron, and a few skillful moves by Danny Ferry. Let’s ride this thing out as long as we can
February 5th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
yeh for real…we apparently dodged quite a few bullets when we DIDNT sign those guys….i was happy when we signed Mo just had no idea how great it would turn out….and now, even though we’re 39-9….everyone outside of the Cleve. is still all Lakers-Celtics….simply perfect enough for the Cavs to sneak in and blow everyone away come playoff time!
February 6th, 2009 at 8:57 am
I was a big fan of bringing either Redd or Brand to the Paris-of-the-Rustbelt. Boy, am I glad to say I am wrong.