Of the four teams that participated in the 12-player deal that saw the Sixers reshape a roster that was good enough to come within one game of the Eastern Conference finals, Collins' is the only one yet to put its full complement of players on the court.
Bynum has missed all 51 games with bilateral bone bruises and weakened cartilage in both knees. The Sixers have long since abandoned a time line for his return. However, they are hopeful that Bynum, modestly listed at 7-foot, will return at some point in the second half of the season, perhaps before the end of this month.
They also expect to see undersized starting power forward Thaddeus Young (strained left hamstring) back in the lineup in the next two weeks.
Shooting guard Jason Richardson, a career 17.3 points-per-game scorer acquired along with Bynum, hasn't played since Jan. 18, and has been scheduled for surgery on his left knee next week. The operation will sideline him 9-12 months.
"We have had a lot of injuries," Collins said. "But I'm not going to say that's the reason why we're in the position we're in. That doesn't go over well in Philadelphia. This is a town where, if you have five players on the floor, they expect you to go out there and win.
"But it's been difficult," Collins continued. "We have not met our expectations so far."
The Sixers have yet to win more than three games in a row at any point in the season. After beginning 10-6, they won just seven of their next 26 games. They kept their hopes for a playoff berth alive during a recent 5-3 homestand, albeit with some of those wins coming against some of the league's weakest teams.
"That's OK," swingman Nick Young said. "Nobody cares who you beat. They just want to know what your record is. We have a shot to sneak in [the playoffs]."
It will be difficult, though. Of the 31 remaining games, just 12 will be played at the Wells Fargo Center.
"The thing about the second half is it's a sprint," Collins said. "We haven't left ourselves any room for error."
Contact John N. Mitchell at jmitchell@philly.com, or follow on Twitter @JmitchInquirer.
