As stated here the other day, the Sixers were potentially looking to add another big man to fill out the roster. Now, they undoubtedly will need one.

Yesterday the Sixers confirmed that second year backup center Jason Smith has torn his ACL in his left knee. The injury could potentially cause Smith to miss most of the 2008-2009 season.

Smith injured the knee while participating in an approved camp in Las Vegas during a standard five-on-five drill. No contact had been made with Smith when the injury occurred. Smith's agent, Marc Bartelstein, said that Smith planted his left leg going up for a layup when the injury occurred.

Smith had averaged 4.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in his rookie season last year. He averaged 14.5 minutes per game, although his playing time slowly decreased as the season wore on.

While losing a player is never a good thing, this will open up more opportunities for Sixers rookie Marreese Speights who had a good summer league showing last month.

Look for the Sixers to put a big man at the forefront of their focus now with names such as Theo Ratliff, Jamaal Magloire, and Francisco Elson at the top of the list.

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