It appears very unlikely that starting center Spencer Hawes will play against the New Jersey Nets at the Center on Wednesday night, which could be the fifth straight game the Sixers have been without their big man in the lineup. Nursing a strained Achilles, which stemmed from some lower back issues, head coach Doug Collins will not rush back Hawes.
The same goes for rookie big man Nikola Vucevic, who injured the area around his knee and quad last Saturday in Miami. Vucevic missed Mondays game against the Wizards and he probably will be a no-go for Wednesdays game, too.
So without two big men and facing the remaining six games of a seven-game homestand, the Sixers need some reinforcements on the front line.
We are going to need some muscle, Collins said before Mondays victory over the Wizards. We are very undersized right now.
The Sixers might not have very far to look for some help. According to team president Rod Thorn, the Sixers plan on having 7-foot-1 center Francisco Elson in for a workout on Thursday. Elson, who played one game for the Sixers two years ago, was acquired in a trade with Milwaukee that brought Jodie Meeks to Philly.
Thorn said Elson could be joined by other big men for the workout.
Could one of those big men called upon to help the Sixers be recently retired NBA veteran and Philly native, Rasheed Wallace?
NBA
Not so fast, says Thorn.
Dont think so, Thorn said. Not at this time.
In an e-mail response, Thorn wrote that the Sixers had not reached out to Wallace, who is reportedly mulling a comeback. Moreover, Wallaces camp has not contacted the Sixers about an interest in a workout or a possible comeback.
Wallace,37, attended Simon Gratz High in North Philly before heading off to the University of North Carolina for two seasons. From 1995 to 2010, Wallace played for Washington, Portland, Atlanta, Detroit and Boston, where he made the All-Star team four times and won the NBA championship with the Pistons in 2004. Wallace last played for Boston in 2010 in the NBA Finals against the Lakers.
Reports have linked Wallace to potentially coming back to play for Boston or Chicago, but his agent, Bill Strickland, told AOL FanHouse that his client was not making a comeback.
I don't think that's the casefor now anyway, Strickland told FanHouse. He has a period of time to where he may be thinking about it, but he has not given me any indication of his intent to return. Hes still saying that for now he's good, that he's OK where he is.
In addition to Wallace and Elson, 7-foot-1 NBA veteran, Joel Przybilla, is also reportedly looking to make a comeback. Przybilla, 32, last appeared in 36 games for Portland and Charlotte in 2010-11.
Meanwhile, Elson has logged 467 NBA games over eight years, averaging 3.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 15.4 minutes per game. He last appeared in 62 games with the Jazz last season.
E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com.