By FRANK WARD
DailyPhiladelphian.com Editor

Why? Why this team? Why now?

Those questions have jumped through the minds of basketball insiders, NBA personnel and Sixers fans for the last 72 hours.

Doug Collins will get to answer the pundits on Monday when he is formally introduced as the new head coach of the 76ers.

Doug Collins helped guide the Sixers to the NBA Finals as a player. He starts the same journey as coach on Monday.

Collins is intelligent and well-versed on what to say, especially in an introductory news conference. Having said that, it will be interesting to see how he responds to a number of topics including:

• What he sees in this team and whether or not he indicates just how badly it underperformed for Eddie Jordan;
• The offense he plans to use with a young running team plus Elton Brand;
• His assessment of Brand and his plans for using him;
• Whether or not he makes a commitment to starting Brand no matter what;
• His assessment of Andre Iguodala;
• If he mentions Evan Turner, or alludes to him, in his plans for offense;
• How important Samuel Dalembert is to the team;
• How he plans to address Dalembert’s inconsistencies;

Honestly, the Brand and Iguodala questions will be most interesting.

Doug Collins will need to address his plans for forward Elton Brand, a disappointment since signing with the Sixers two years ago.

Brand isn’t going anywhere and Collins must find a way to get the most out of him. I don’t think he’s as bad as he’s played. I blame a lot on Jordan misusing him last year. Collins knows Brand’s play is important to next year and Sixers future. If he can return to an all-star level, his contract becomes easier to trade in a year or two. Not to mention the fact that a healthy Brand makes this team that much better.

Iguodala is another story. Stefanski explored dealing his only valuable chip at the deadline last winter. In the end, acquiring Amare Stoudemire for the rest of this year didn’t appeal to him. He likely made the right decision. No matter what Sixers fans think, Iguodala is respected around the league and will bring the most of any player.

Nobody can question Andre Iguodala’s athleticism. However, could he be dealt this summer to improve Sixers long term future?

With absolutely no salary cap room, could the Sixers use him as bait for a sign-and-trade deal in the best free agent market in NBA history? Or, at the very least, use him to get help at another position?

Iguodala has been seen as a guard by Sixers management. He’s best as a small forward. But, Thaddeus Young could easily fill that role, and the imminent drafting of Evan Turner could make Iguodala expendable.

Will Collins oversell Iggy tomorrow as a way to drive up his trade value?

I could be way off base in this thought. However, seeing what the Sixers have on their roster and what they need, trading Iggy isn’t impossible. I’ll be watching Stefanski’s and Collins’ body language when it comes to Iguodala.