Doc diagnoses the Sixers
Add Elton Brand to one of the league’s up-and-coming young teams and the results should be pretty good.
Right?
It hasn’t clicked so far for the Philadelphia 76ers, who are just 7-8 in the early part of the season despite adding one of the league’s premier post players.
“They’ll be fine,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “I really believe that, not just because they’re our opponent. I’m not Lou Holtzing us tonight.”
Unlike last year’s Celtics, who added two All-Stars and ran out to the league’s best record before winning it all, Philadelphia may be following a more traditional route.
“It just takes time,” said Rivers. “You just don’t know. With some teams you make a lot of changes and you break out right away. With some it takes time…By the end of the year they’ll be what we all thought they would be.”
Rivers scoffed at the notion that Brand bogs down Philly’s run-and-gun style.
“I look at them to be a better running team because they’re a better rebounding team with Elton Brand,” he said. “I use the example of the old Lakers. And event the Shaq Lakers. They both had a dominant big man and they could run.”
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