John Smallwood: Brand's debut with Sixers not bad, but he'll get better

By John Smallwood Philadelphia Daily News Daily News Sports Columnist AMHERST, Mass. - It's just the first game. It's just the first game. It's just the first game, and it's a preseason game on top of that. I had to keep reminding myself of that because I've been looking forward to this ever since Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski pulled that rabbit out of his hat and brought marquee free agent Elton Brand to Philadelphia. I've watched this franchise go through slow erosion since the pinnacle of the Allen Iverson era, its appearance in the 2001 NBA Finals. I've seen disappointing supposed superstars come and go as the Sixers tried to recreate magic around Iverson. I've seen a Hall of Fame coach bail out on the process and a revolving door of coaches follow. I've seen the Sixers finally cut the strings to... [read full story]