"Young" & "Brand" New: Elton, Thaddeus Lead 76ers with New Hope

An unexpected charge in the Playoffs, the maturation of former high school star Lou Williams, the resurgence of Andre Miller's play and the surprise contributions of one-and-done lottery pick Thaddeus Young made the Philadelphia 76ers the new new-kids-on-the-block. It was expected that Andre Iguodala, the star swingman, would be requesting a high-dollar contract extension, merited or unmerited; he was going to stay regardless, but Elton Brand's defection from the Los Angeles Clippers to the East Coast have made the Sixers true playoff contenders and serious Eastern Conference adversaries.

The Sixers have many strengths, but it always starts from the top when it comes to improvement. Iguodala is going to have to improve his shooting to be the threat that the team believed he could be back in 2004, with Allen Iverson and Chris Webber. His ability to defend and slash are well-documented, but his streakiness will either make him an overpaid second banana or a poor man's Pippen (the player to whom he is most compared), and even then, he doesn't have the handle to warrant that as a fair comparison. Look for A.I. to show up and improve.

Brand will give the Sixers an authentic low-post beast in the paint with true All-Star talent and ability. His multi-fold games on both ends will dramatically upgrade the level of the Sixers' play, relieving the guards of scoring pressure and giving center Samuel Dalembert to really excel as a defender and clean-up man on offense. Mr. Brand can also serve as a great teacher to the young bigs in Jason Smith (who will not be available for the season because of an ACL injury) and rookie Marreese Speights, often seen as a kind of Elton Brand/Al Jefferson hybrid. Fellow forward Young is going to be the 76ers' secret weapon, if he can dismantle the other 29 NBA teams in the upcoming season as he did in the 2008 NBA Playoffs; he did so playing as a power forward, something that he was projected at becoming as he filled out later in his career, but with Brand, Speights and Smith as the primary four-men, the question becomes a matter of whether young Young actually is skilled enough to play as a full-time small forward (as opposed to a combination forward, or a "3-4").

The smooth groove of veteran guards Miller and Willie Green will be a steadying force, but the electricity of Williams' game gives Philadelphia some needed versatility in the backcourt, especially considering the presence of A.I. Kareem Rush, Royal Ivey and Donyell Marshall all give Philly needed dimension on the floor as outside shooters.

Moreover, Philadelphia will at least show up and win the majority of the time. While Boston and Detroit are the most serious threats to win the East, if they can stare down the Cleveland Cavaliers, they'll have a legitimate shot at an Eastern Conference championship...with more than a little luck.