When the news broke last week that Baron Davis would be joining Elton Brand on the Los Angeles Clippers, I feared that the Western Conference would now have two teams (in addition to the Portland Trailblazers) that could leapfrog from non-playoff teams into postseason participants in 2009, possibly muscling out our beloved Nuggets while doing so.But my fears about the Clippers have subsided as Brand is reportedly signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. I guess Elton prefers to be on a perennial playoff team in the Eastern Conference that will never win a championship to being on a perennial playoff team in the Western Conference that probably wouldn't win a championship either, but certainly had a better shot with him and BD on the same team. But given that these guys only have about a 15-year window with which they can make as much money as possible, I can't blame Brand for signing a five-year, $82 million deal.
Now I'll just lose sleep over those pesky Blazers...