This is where it gets a little dicey in the arguments concerning his signing.
The other free agent the Sixers coveted was Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith. He was a restricted free agent, though, so whatever money the Sixers threw at him ultimately could have been matched by the Hawks.
The Sixers and general manager Ed Stefanski did their best to lure Smith - wining and dining him much as the Phillies did for Jim Thome before the 2003 season. But the fact that they ultimately could not lock him in hung like a black cloud.
So there was Brand, who was offered huge money from his previous employer, the Los Angeles Clippers, and from the Golden State Warriors.
This is where the poker thinking started. With the Hawks capable of matching what Stefanski could offer Smith, had he not offered a contract to Brand, he would have been left empty-handed.
Many might say that would have worked out best, as the Sixers then could have been patient, maybe suffered a year or 2 through poor seasons, and built the team with drafts and the money they had saved.
Of course, they didn't. They signed Brand, who was coming off a ruptured Achilles' injury. Matters were further complicated when Brand had season-ending shoulder surgery after playing in only 29 games while averaging 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in his first season with the Sixers.
Now, the situation has been thrown fully into a blender, as new coach Eddie Jordan doesn't appear to have enough confidence in Brand to have him on the floor in key situations. Brand has not played in the fourth quarter in four of the past five games. In those games, he has averaged only 24 minutes, 7 points and 5.2 rebounds.
A bad move by Stefanski to sign the Duke product? Perhaps.
Too early to tell? Again, perhaps.
