1 Can Brand be salvaged?
Elton Brand is going to make $16 million this year. Get over it, he’s untradeable.
The current problem is that Brand is showing no real signs of reversing his career trend. He lost about 20 pounds this offseason per the request of coach Doug Collins, but is still lacking explosion. If Brand can average 14 points and eight rebounds, it’s has to be chalked up as a success.
2 Will Turner realize his full potential?
It’s been all downhill since the Sixers made Evan Turner the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
He was brutal in summer league and the coaches have found out he isn’t ready to play off the ball at the NBA level. His jumper needs a ton of work and national pundits are already predicting Turner as the bust of the draft. He must show some upside as a scorer to breathe hope into the franchise.
3 Will the fans return to Wells Fargo Center?
The NBA, as a league, is in trouble financially, and the Sixers are a prime example.
(Of course, tonight is an anomaly with LeBron James and the Heat in town. There were limited tickets available at press time).
Last season, the Sixers ranked 26th in attendance, 23rd in each of the two years before that and 29th in ’07. Without a true superstar on the roster, the only way to change that apathy is winning.
