STIFF OR STAR // 76ers Preaching Patience on Bradley Front

PHILADELPHIA It's been a rough first month of the season forfirst-round picks.

But nobody has been feeling the pressure more than the No. 2 pick,Shawn Bradley, the skinny 7-6 center from Castle Dale, Utah, whomPhiladelphia 76ers owner Harold Katz signed to a guaranteedeight-year, $44.28 million contract. Katz predicted Bradley willchange the way the game is played.

"I think Shawn is going to be a very unique center because of theheight and the way he plays," Katz said. "There's very few(seven-footers) I've ever seen . . . who dive for balls. I feel heis a 7-6 player in a 6-foot body and plays like that."

Fred Carter, 76ers coach, also boosted Bradley. …