The Goods Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 In barely a year, Elton Brand has already experienced the full range of emotions from Philadelphia sports fans. He watched and listened to the unbridled joy that followed the Phillies' World Series championship and he heard and felt the disappointment when his debut with the 76ers was derailed by a second straight season of injury. "It was so great to see the people dancing in the streets for days after the baseball championship, because they're so proud of their city and they live for their team," Brand said in a telephone interview. "And that kind of intensity is what made it so rough when I couldn't play and couldn't do my part. "Those fans are rough and tough. They'll put it right in your face. I appreciate that, because last season was heart-wrenching for me, too." That it came in the first of a five-year, $80 million free agent contract that he signed to jump from the Los Angeles Clippers made it especially difficult for everyone to swallow. Brand played in only 29 games last season and was a shadow of his former self. After suffering a dislocated shoulder on Dec. 17, Brand chose to rest for six weeks and returned to the lineup for seven mainly ineffective games before shutting himself down to have surgery. "I felt like I did the right thing in that situation," Brand said. "You give it a try and see if you can come back and contribute in any way possible. In that way, I think I was like (Orlando's) Jameer Nelson. He had a similar injury in February and he came back to play in the NBA Finals for the Magic." Instead, after being a regular 20-point, 10-rebound performer over his first seven NBA seasons, Brand was able to post averages of just 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds last season. That came after he missed the final 74 games of the 2007-08 season in LA with a torn left Achilles tendon. "Working out this summer, six months after the shoulder surgery, I've got the full range of motion back in my arm and I'm feeling like my old self again," Brand said. "It's just not my shoulder that feels good. It's also my legs. In a way and for the long term, it might have been a good thing for the shoulder happen. It slowed me down and gave the Achilles a chance to fully heal. Now I've got my movement and my explosiveness back and I'm ready to prove some things to a lot of people." Full Article: http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/fran_blinebury/08/07/brand.offseason/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
His Greatness Posted August 10, 2009 Report Share Posted August 10, 2009 Am I delusional for genuinely believing he can return to 20-10 form? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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