30-year old Elton Brand is the starter at power forward for the Sixers. He’s one of the best at his position in the NBA when he is healthy….and that has not been often lately. He played in only 29 games for the 76ers last season and he averaged 31.7 minutes, 13.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game. The 76ers expect Brand to stay healthy this year and for him to average around 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. 23-year old Jason Smith missed all of last season due to a torn ACL and the Sixers hope he can stay healthy enough to back up Brand this year. He played in 76 games as a rookie in 2007-08 for the Sixers in which he averaged 14.6 minutes, 4.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. 22-year old Marreese Speights will back up at center this season but he should also get some minutes here and he is a talented player.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE POWER FORWARDS IN 2009-2010: B-

21-year old Thaddeus Young is a player on the rise for the Sixers. He played in 75 games last season for the 76ers in which he averaged 34.4 minutes, 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. It’s entirely possible that Young is just scratching the surface of his potential as I could see him easily averaging around 20 points per game this season. 28-year old Jason Kapono will be Young’s back up and he is a sharp shooter. He shot 42.8% from three point range and that is the main skill that he brings to the table. Kapono played in 80 games for the Raptors last season and he averaged 22.9 minutes, 8.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE SMALL FORWARDS IN 2009-2010: B