Money well spent: Elton Brand out for the year

I guess 80 million dollars doesn't buy what it used to.

Elton Brand, the Sixers big free agent acquisition in the off-season, has been in and out of the line-up all year, playing 29 of 47 games. After missing an entire month due to an ailing shoulder, a month in which the Sixers played their best basketball of the season, Brand has been slowly worked back into the line-up, coming off the bench and getting limited opportunities. He hasn't looked at all like a player worth the huge contract the Sixers gave him.

Now his contract looks even worse. News came out today that Brand will miss the rest of the season after he has shoulder surgery on his right shoulder. At least now the Sixers can get back to playing their preferred run and gun style and don't have to worry about easing Brand back into the fold.

So Brand's worst season as a professional basketball player has come to an end. He finishes averaging 13.8 points per game and 8.8 boards per game, numbers that are way below his career average of 20 and 10. The hope for the Sixers is that Brand has the surgery and can come back next season ready to finish out the remaining 4 years of his contract. If he can't play much better than he did this season then the signing that looked like the Sixers were taking the next step could hold back the franchise for years.

Elton Brand better come back strong next season or GM Ed Stefanski is going to need to get his resume together.