PHILADELPHIA -- Dressed in his team-issued practice gear, Andrew Bynum looked the part of a Philadelphia 76er. Rob Gronkowski Jersey Sale . Bynum just couldnt run, practice or play like the rest of the team. Wearing his Sixers tank top for the first day of training camp, Bynum was reduced Tuesday to an All-Star bench player. He participated in some light workouts, then took a seat on the bleachers behind Doug Collins, watching nonplussed as the third-year Sixers coach directed the seasons first scrimmage. The preseason will go on without Bynum. The Sixers ran a full-court scrimmage, complete with refs, with Bynum not much more than a sideline observer. The Sixers are resting the All-Star centre for three weeks as precaution after he received knee treatment in Germany. The Sixers remained optimistic that Bynum, acquired from Los Angeles as part of a four-team trade, will return in time for the Oct. 31 opener against Denver. But the Sixers will play preseason games, gameplan, and scrimmage all without their biggest presence. That can only complicate the next month for a franchise that has designs on a deep playoff run. The party line on Bynum at the first day of camp at Saint Josephs was, better now than later. "Its not frustrating, but it does complicate things a lot for us," forward Thaddeus Young said. "Bynum is a big part of our offence and what were trying to do. We have to simulate a lot of stuff were going to do with a, how should I say it, a dummy Bynum on the court." Spencer Hawes and Kwame Brown are a bit more than mannequins simply filling in for Bynum. Hawes was penciled in as the starting forward before Bynum went down. Hawes and Bynum would give the Sixers two 7-footers in the middle, making them one of the more formidable duos in the East. Collins will mix and match in the preseason, giving Hawes, Brown, Young, and Lavoy Allen shots at centre or power forward. Collins advised the Sixers not to think the mishmash of lineups run out there will be the way it stays on opening night. Collins leaned on Bynum during drills, asking the big man, "Is there where you want the guys to be? How do you like them cutting?" Only 24, Bynum came to Philadelphia with massive expectations to be The Man on the team. Sitting out was a tough way to start. "He knows that, come time when hes going to get out on the floor, people are looking for him to help take this franchise to new heights," Collins said. "Hes well aware of that. I think hes ready to take on that challenge. "But its not a one-man thing." Collins, who likes a nine-deep rotation, knows all the big men are going to have to bang and score whether Bynum is there or not. The increased playing time in the preseason can only help them. But the Sixers didnt invite fans to a splashy press conference at a historical site for signing Brown. They did it for Bynum. And now, its time to look forward. Bynum, who has a history of knee issues, has to play at least 75 games for the Sixers to truly become a threat in the East. "Hes the piece," Young said. "He is the piece to our success. We believe he can make plays for us all around the basket, all around the court." The Sixers cant wait to see him in action. Collins, who had his 2013-14 option picked up Monday, opened his third camp trying to find a way to mesh all the new faces on the roster. That doesnt even include Bynum. Allen, Hawes, Young, Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner are, amazingly, the only returning players off a team that reached the East semis. Collins stressed to his team this week the importance of teamwork and communication. Theyre all going through this new experience together. Holiday (22) and Turner (23) have staked their claim already as locker room leaders. Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand were the elder statesman, but they were dumped in the off-season, as was Lou Williams, who brought swagger and catchphrases to the locker room. "I know me and Evan had a different mindset, kind of saying, this is our gym," Holiday said. They want Bynum to come out and play. The 7-footer also has a bone bruise on his right knee, though its unrelated to the injections on his knee. "Andrew wants to be out there and compete," general manager Tony DiLeo said. "Were holding him back. We want to be cautious. This is preseason, we dont want to get him out there too soon until hes healed and ready to go." Sebastia... Vollmer Elite Jersey . 1. NBA Draft Lottery: Say a quick prayer. Maybe the Raptors get lucky and move up. Anthony Davis? - dream come true; top 3 - happy. If not, wouldnt be surprised if they package the pick and try to swing a trade. Julian Edelman Jersey Limited . -- Darren Mattocks scored in the 43rd minute to lift the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday night. http://www.patriotsofficialteamst... . There is no timetable for Tulowitzkis return, but he is likely to be sidelined for about two months. Tulowitzki was placed on the disabled list on May 31. He is hitting .287 this year with eight home runs and 27 RBI. [url=http://www.patriotsofficialteamstore.com/dan-connolly-jersey/]Dan Connolly Jersey . In a game against Metallurg Magnitogorsk, the league said that Carle appeared to make contract with a referee during the game. He received the match penalty for abuse of officials and unsportsmanlike conduct. Jamie Collins Jersey Patriots . Dielman retired in March, 4 1/2 months after sustaining a concussion in a helmet-to-helmet collision with a New York Jets defender.ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves hope veteran starter Ben Sheets can bolster their rotation. After Sheets passed a physical on Sunday morning, the Braves signed the oft-injured pitcher to a minor-league contract. The 33-year-old Sheets, who will report Wednesday to Double-A Mississippi, threw a simulated game Thursday at Georgia Tech that the Braves and four other teams attended. The two sides agreed to contract terms Friday. Sheets said he felt good after throwing a bullpen session Sunday to former major league catcher Eddie Perez at Turner Field. Perez, the Braves bullpen coach, played the 2003 season with Sheets, a Louisiana native, in Milwaukee. "I aint telling you Im throwing 100 (mph), but Im just saying the balls coming out of my hand really good," Sheets said. "Breaking balls spinning. Eddie even told me my cutter-slider looked good. I know hes lying." The right-hander last pitched in 2010 with Oakland, going 4-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 20 starts. Atlantas rotation took a hit recently when Brandon Beachy was lost for the season to a torn elbow ligament. Beachy was 5-5 ovver 13 starts with a 2. Dan Connolly Jersey Patriots. 00 ERA, tied for lowest in the majors. He had surgery June 25. Sheets, a four-time NL All-Star, missed the 2009 season after undergoing a similar surgery on his right elbow. He played for Milwaukee from 2001-2008, going 86-83 with a 3.72 ERA in 221 starts. Oakland general manager Billy Beane took a chance on Sheets in 2010, paying him $10 million on a one-year contract. Sheets landed on the disabled list for the seventh time in his career, undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and a torn elbow ligament. He is scheduled to make 75 pitches and hopes to last five innings on Wednesday. In his next start, Sheets hopes to go six innings and throw 90 pitches. The Braves Double-A affiliate is in Pearl, Miss., a suburb of Jackson and a 90-minute drive from Sheets Louisiana home. Atlanta general manager Frank Wren believes Sheets, if healthy, could give the Braves a boost. "Our hope is that this will be a nice addition," Wren said. "Were getting a guy whos a four-time All-Star. I just think we havent been as consistent as wed like." ' ' '