Marreese Speights has an MCL tear that won't require surgery, but will sideline him for 6-8 weeks, which means we'll see you in 2010, kid.

At least the injury will answer this: What does Elton Brand have left in him? There will be no more fourth-quarter benchings, no more looking over his shoulder to see if Speights is going to glean minutes away from him. The Sixers need their $80 million man to start earning his checks, and this is his time to prove he isn't washed up.

G.M. Ed Stefanski has no plans to pick anyone from the scrap heap, so Jason Smith probably will get 15-20 minutes per night, and you might even see Primoz Brezec in a game or three.

Since the Bucks don't have the most gifted frontcourt in the world, the Sixers will have rookie Jrue Holiday active and available to make his first NBA appearance. Center Primos Brezec will be in streets.

Asked Eddie Jordan if, since Marreese Speights is clearly not a center and is substandard defensively at every position, he ever would pair Speights and Sam Dalembert. That would seem to be the best frontcourt pairing for Speights, since Dalembert can guard a center and at least has a shot of offering some weakside help if Speights is backed to the rim by a power forward. Jordan said he did have them on the court together a couple of times this preseason (not that I ever recall seeing) and that .... well, he could do that.

That didn't exactly sound like a promise. Which means Speights likely will play more center, and if that continues to happen, it's going to be a long season.

... and by that I mean the Sixers blog with that snazzy name (not my idea ... about to see if I can use my powers to blow up that name).

Just a quick hello post. I'm back on the Sixers beat after a 7 1/2-year exile on the Phillies beat. The first season I was off the Sixers beat they went to the NBA Finals. The first season I was off the Phillies beat, they won the World Series. So, basically, I'm the Grim Reaper. And it makes that Public Enemy song title kind of fitting.

As for the Sixers ... I predicted 48 wins from them. One game in, I am not feeling great about it. I have some major reservations about the leadership on the team that I will detail a little more in columns and on this blog.

First little scoop: Lou Williams is illin'. Missed shootaround this morning, although he insists he'll be OK to start tonight. Have to see if he got his H1N1 shot. You'd think seven figures would buy you some of that.