Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons’ health is a real concern

The next chapter in the Philadelphia 76ers’ twisty season might end in tragedy.

The 2019-20 season has brought about many feelings for fans of the Philadelphia 76ers. Disappointment. Confusion. Anger. Sadness. Irritation. Very rarely has it crossed into ‘fun’ territory. The Sixers, so far, have not been fun.

Through the fog of discontentment, fans have found optimism in two guiding lights — Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. No matter how ugly the game, no matter how poor the effort, fans have been able to take comfort in the fact that Embiid and Simmons are really good at basketball.

Now one light may be dimmed. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons underwent further testing on his injured back today. He previously missed Thursday’s game against Brooklyn, and exited early in Saturday’s loss to Milwaukee.

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The Sixers knew Simmons had an issue, yet he still turned a probable into an available on Saturday night’s injury report. Despite discomfort in his back, despite the evident potential for it to flare up, Simmons geared up for a regular season contest.

Philadelphia must now deal with the results. It is yet another referendum on the Sixers’ wayward medical staff — a player not ready to play who still decided to. The front office has facilitated turnover in the medical staff as recently as last summer, but the Sixers still can’t seem to get out of their own way.

Given the nature of Joel Embiid’s rise to stardom — heck, even Simmons’ rise to stardom — one would think the Sixers were content with a patient perspective on injuries. And yet, Philadelphia seems as anxious as ever to shove players back into the rotation on as short an injury timeline as possible. It is, at this point, egregious.

This falls largely on the shoulders of the medical department. We do not know the full details of the situation, and it may turn out fine. But this is not the first time Philadelphia has rushed a player back, only to experience significant consequences.

Simmons was reportedly emotional leaving the X-ray room at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. He received initial testing in Philadelphia today, and will receive more tomorrow, Feb. 24 — a bad sign, as a non-issue would likely nullify the need for extra testing.

If this develops into a serious problem for Simmons, the Sixers will need to reevaluate the medical staff once more. In addition, it should lead to further reflection among the front office and the coaching staff. The Sixers need to exercise patience in these situations.

The tone of Woj’s report indicates reason for concern. This doesn’t have the feel of a “chill out” moment. Simmons is as resilient as any player in basketball, but he missed a game due to soreness, tried to fight it out Saturday, and immediately experienced more pain. It feels icky.

This has been a whirlwind season for the Sixers. If Simmons is hurt, things will only dip further south. No amount of Joel Embiid can lift Philadelphia to contention in Simmons’ absence, at least not with such a poorly constructed roster.

Now, we wait.