INTERVIEW: ELTON BRANDInterview by: Jeff McMenamin HTV: Thaddeus Young said that some days he doesn't want to even come out of the locker room to guard you in practice because you're back into form. Do you feel as if you're back into form, 100% healthy and ready to go? BRAND: I'm as close to 100 percent as a 10 year NBA veteran can be. All the major injuries are totally behind me and I feel great. Plus Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala have gotten better over the summer as well as I so we're going to have a good formidable team. HTV: The Sixers are 3-0 in the preseason so far (Editor's Note: The Sixers are now 4-0 with their W over the NYK on Tuesday night). How do you feel about that record? BRAND: It feel's good to be 3-0 right now. We're trying to instill winning, it's about winning and when we're out there on the court we want to win. We've done that thus far and it's just a great feeling. HTV: How are you and the team adjusting to the new Princeton offense? BRAND: Sometimes the offense we look better at it than other times. When its flowing its flowing well and we're doing well, but other times we get bogged down a little bit. We're finding ways to fight our way out of it, we're still learning the new system but Coach Jordan is teaching it well and so far it's been going well.
HTV: You've have a new starting point guard in Lou Williams. So far do you feel as if Lou has been living up to the on the court expectations the organization set for him? BRAND: Lou Williams has. He has really adjusted to the new role well. I think the system bodes well to his abilities. He's athletic, he can slash, finish at the rim, and it's a system so he brings it up to a certain point than he's passing the ball and cutting. He's not your traditional point guard that has to break somebody down and dish the ball so I think that serves his game well. HTV: I hear that Sammy D has been doing very well in practice and his offensive game has been coming along very well. What have you seen out of Sammy D so far during training camp and the preseason? BRAND: Sam is going to be one of the x-factors of the team. He has to be out there to play defense and block shots, but also the offense needs to go in the low post. When it's in that low post he's going to have to do some things and move the ball around and he's doing well at it in practice but it has to translate to the games. HTV: Switching gears to the Converse "Open Gym" series...Can you tell us a little bit about what the Converse "Open Gym" means to you? BRAND: The Converse open gym is a great thing. Over 50,000 kids have come to the Converse open gyms so far and it's just a lot of fun. I remember going to the open gyms as a youth just going out and having fun. There's no pressure you're just going out there and having fun. It's not AAU, it's not high school, it's just an open gym where you're at with your peers and I'm glad that Converse let me be a part of it.
HTV: Do you think basketball has a way of forming a bond between kids and strangers? BRAND: Basketball has a way of getting guys together to form comradery and form friendships. You can meet guys from different neighborhoods just by playing the game of basketball. That's the love of the game and that's what basketball is all about. HTV: How are the new EB2's going to help kids play today? BRAND: Their structured for speed and agility and everything else and their free for the kids but a great price point at J.C. Penny so hopefully they get to use them. They can use them when they go back to school to play ball and just as regular shoes. HTV: How does it feel to be a part of the "Open Gym" experience?? BRAND: It's always a special feeling because I always reflect back to my days as a youth and I never had an NBA player come and say hello or give me free sneakers and things like that so if I did than I would've been very humbled. These kids are humbled. Everyone is saying thank you and is very responsive, receptive and just very appreciative.
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