It was only months ago that Elton Brand thought his NBA career was over.
When he signed with the Sixers in January, he expected to play. But being tasked to limit Andre Drummond, who entered Saturday evening's contest at the Wells Fargo Center averaging 16 points and a league-high 15 rebounds per game?
That wasn’t exactly what he envisioned doing after almost a year away from an active NBA roster.
“I didn’t expect to play ever again at this level,” Brand, who turned 37 Friday, said after the Sixers fell to the visiting Pistons, 125-111 (see Instant Replay). “I’ll be honest, I certainly wasn’t training for a comeback. So to be here and to contribute to the team, it’s a lot of fun.”
The Sixers were down to only 10 players Saturday against the Pistons, requiring all able bodies to contribute. Even though the Sixers lost, head coach Brett Brown was able to turn to Brand and ninth-year veteran Carl Landry to provide reliability and a high basketball IQ in a shorthanded matchup.
Brand finished with 10 points (5 for 9 from the floor), three rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes off the bench. He hadn't scored in double digits since April 14, 2014, when he was an Atlanta Hawk and dropped 12 points on the Charlotte Hornets.
Landry tied his season-high with 18 points (7 for 13 from the field) and six rebounds in 25 minutes as a the starting power forward. His time on the court Saturday night was one minute shy of the season high he set last weekend in Miami.
“It just shows what a veteran NBA player brings to any team, and those two guys are fantastic,” Brown said. “I think it’s another example of them having the ability to go through an NBA season and not play a lot — Elton, not at all until recently — and still come into an NBA game. … They have been really good lately.”
Brand recalled when he had the advantage defending Drummond when he entered the league in 2012. When Brand's Dallas Mavericks hosted Drummond's Pistons on Dec. 1, 2012, Drummond recorded just two points and four rebounds in 12 minutes of action.
On Saturday, Drummond recorded his 55th double-double of the season with 19 points (8 for 12 from the field, 4 for 5 from the line) and 15 rebounds.
Still, Drummond was impressed by the defense of the 17th-year veteran.
"He plays hard and he tries to challenge every shot," Drummond said of Brand. "He did what he was supposed to."
Brown has praised the leadership and veteran presence of Brand and Landry throughout the season. Once they get minutes, he is able to see their leadership translate on to the floor.
"Elton, you see a class and a maturity in a locker room setting while we’ve had him," Brown said. "Then now he’s got a chance to go on a court and you sort of see the whole package.
"I just have a lot of appreciation and of course respect for how he’s handled himself in the small amount of time he’s been with me."