Philadelphia 76ers: Elton Brand’s optimistic about Ben Simmons’ health

There appears to be good news coming from the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers about their franchise point guard.

The Philadelphia 76ers were in a tough spot before the NBA season was postponed thanks to the coronavirus outbreak. One of the reasons was because their star point guard Ben Simmons had suffered a back injury. Luckily, general manager Elton Brand finally provided an update on the two-time All-Star. Tip of the Hate to Noah Levick of NBCSPhilly for the quote.

"‘”I give Ben and our medical staff a ton of credit for their hard work throughout his recovery…I give Ben so much credit for him working so hard throughout this unknown time. Fortunately, we’ve able to arrange for him to continue to get the treatment and rehab he needs during this hiatus. I’m very optimistic he’ll be able to play if and when we’re given that green light to resume.”‘"

It’s great that Simmons has made so much progress with his recovery. In that regard, this hiatus from play has been a blessing for the Sixers. This also lines up with what Jackie McMillan of ESPN recently wrote about Simmons’ recovery as well.

However, this isn’t exactly a clean bill of health either. Brand used the words “very optimistic”, but didn’t use definitive wording in that quote. Maybe the lack of definitive vocabulary means nothing and it’s just the way Brand spoke. It might also indicate that Simmons’ is 100.00 percent yet either.

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Only time will tell if Simmons is truly ready or just close to being ready. Regardless, when and if the season continues, Philly will need Simmons if they want any legit shot at a deep playoff run. His defense, passing, and his ability to be elite in a fastbreak was missed during his absence.

Assuming that this is truly positive news and Brand is right about Simmons being ready to return, then the Sixers will have a legit chance to beat anyone in the playoffs. Without him, there’s a chance they could be eliminated in he first round.

It’s great to hear that Simmons has been working hard on his rehabilitation, hopefully Brand’s optimism for Simmons’ recovery will pay off for the Philadelphia 76ers.