As general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, former NBA All-Star Elton Brand can be described as prolific. He orchestrated major deals for the Sixers that landed Jimmy Butler (who turned out to be a rental), Tobias Harris, and Al Horford in a span of one year.
Brand is as active as any front office executive can be and he's looking to raise the bar in Philadelphia. This time, he will dip his toes in the team's medical side. The Duke University alumnus told Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia:
We brought in Lorena Torres from the Spurs — she had a great run there with the data science being her base and her background. And then Scott Epsley, who’s been here four years, his ability to relate to the players. … And with me. I admit it, I’ll be more a part of it with the players in a partnership for their care. I felt like for their daily care, changes needed to be made, but I’m confident in the changes we have made.
It's no secret that the Sixers have been badly afflicted by the injury bug in recent years, especially with their rookies.
Joel Embiid had to sit out two seasons after being drafted in 2014, Ben Simmons missed an entire season in 2016, Markelle Fultz suffered a bizarre condition that saw his stock and confidence plummet terribly, and Zhaire Smith missed the first 76 games of his rookie campaign last season.
At some point, this troubling Sixers trend has to stop and Brand, who's had his fair share of injuries from his playing days, wants to ensure that Philadelphia will no longer be a nursing home for first-year players and veterans alike.
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