Sixers' Brand has successful surgery on shoulder

Posted: Mon Feb 9 5:34 PM

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand underwent successful season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, the team announced Monday.

Dr. Craig Morgan performed the one-hour procedure at the Christiana Surgery Center in Wilmington, Delaware.

This marks the second straight year that Brand will miss nearly all of the season, as he played in only eight games last year for the Clippers due to a serious Achilles injury.

Brand underwent an MRI exam last Wednesday that reportedly came back clean but team orthopedist and medical director Dr. Jack McPhilemy, along with Morgan, reviewed the results and determined that "the initial tear of the labrum in Brand's right shoulder is responsible for a considerable decrease in the range of motion and instability, both of which would not allow him to be effective on the court."

Brand signed a lucrative five-year, $80 million deal in the offseason to join the Sixers and has largely been a disappointment for the club this season, as Philadelphia has posted only a 25-24 record entering Monday's action amid large expectations. Brand has appeared in only 29 games, missing significant time after injuring the shoulder on December 17 against Milwaukee.

Since returning from his 16-game absence, Brand was largely inefficient, averaging just 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 18 minutes during six games. He began to use a spandex shirt under his jersey to offset the stiffness he had been feeling in his shoulder, but it didn't boost the forward's effectiveness.

The first overall pick of the 1999 draft by Chicago, Brand posted a career-low 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season, down from career averages of 20.0 and 10.1, respectively.