Injury to Sixers’ Wilson Chandler will change Brett Brown’s preseason plans
Jerryd Bayless was injured at practice on Sunday, adding another hit to the perimeter rotation.
One of Brett Brown's main objectives during the 76ers' preseason is to gain clarity on how he will be substituting players and finding a balance with rotations.
That mission took a hit in the opening minutes of the Sixers' first preseason game on Friday, when the newly acquired Wilson Chandler went down with a strained left hamstring. Though the prognosis is far from the worst-case scenario — he'll be reevaluated in two to three weeks and expects to return at that time — it does add some uncertainty for Brown on the perimeter.
"Arguably one of the most important things on my mind is, by the first game [of the regular season], feeling quite certain that you've given that situation a chance to tell you answers," Brown said after practice on Sunday. "It is a blow to our wing rotations."
Despite Brown viewing T.J. McConnell primarily as a point guard, Brown said McConnell will be in the mix for the minutes left on the table in Chandler's absence.
"You can look at Furkan [Korkmaz], you can look at Jerryd [Bayless], you can look at Landry Shamet, you can pivot back out and recognize that T.J., no matter what you call him, is a pretty good player, and shove him into the two spot," Brown said. "All those things are on the table."
Though Bayless was on Brown's list, his availability might have also taken a hit on Sunday when the veteran guard injured his left knee during practice.
The severity of the injury is not yet known. It's another setback for Bayless, who was effectively out of the Sixers' rotation by the end of last season.
For Chandler, the injury came at a frustrating time. As one of the newest additions to the Sixers roster, Chandler would liked to have had the preseason to build more chemistry with the team heading into the regular season. But he thinks the transition will still be smooth.
"First game, first few minutes of the game, it's out of your control, it's definitely frustrating," he said. "Luckily it's nothing too crazy, but two to three weeks is long enough."
The Sixers continue their preseason on Monday, when they host the Orlando Magic before heading to China for a pair of games against the Dallas Mavericks.