After missing the first six games of the season with a sprained ankle, Deron Williams is expected to make his season debut tonight. It's not clear how many minutes he's going to play, but considering the Jazz turned the ball over 20 times in an embarrassing loss to the Knicks on Sunday, the team will appreciate his steady presence for any length of time. Unfortunately, Williams' return doesn't mean the Jazz will finally be at full-strength: Mehmet Okur left the team on Monday to return to his native Turkey due to his father's illness. There's currently no timetable for his return.
This opens the door for for funny-man Kyrylo Fesenko to slide into the starting lineup, right? Not so fast. As it turns out, he's out of the country, as well, traveling to Toronto to resolve a visa issue. All of a sudden, the lone remaining option seems to be giving 19-year-old rookie Kosta Koufos, who's played all of seven minutes this year, the start tonight in Philadelphia.
At 2-4, the Sixers are still finding their way after their big moves this summer, but Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert have combined for over 22 boards a game so far. Things could get ugly.
