Philadelphia 76ers will bring Ben Simmons along slowly in Orlando

The Philadelphia 76ers won’t push Ben Simmons too hard when the season resumes.

Just yesterday, I wrote about Ben Simmons‘ back injury and how the Philadelphia 76ers need to proceed with caution. As if in direct response to that article, Brett Brown provided Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix with an update on Simmons’ health.

As expected, Simmons will play in Orlando. Brown is confident in the point guard’s health, and Philadelphia can expect the All-Star to be on the floor day one. It will not, however, be Simmons’ usual workload. The Sixers are expected to exercise patience, something the organization has struggled with in the past.

Here’s Mannix, paraphrasing Brown.

"“I spoke to Brett Brown, the Sixers coach, just this week. And Brett told me that while he expects Ben Simmons to play, it’s going to be a case of being brought along slowly. So Ben Simmons isn’t gonna come back and play thirty, thirty-five minutes a night.”"

This is good news. The Sixers have eight regular season games to work Simmons into shape, and there’s no reason to press him before it’s necessary. Once the postseason begins, then — and only then — should Philadelphia consider a full workload for Simmons.

Over his first three NBA seasons, few players have been more durable than Simmons. He missed his first year to a freak accident, but his impressive physique has held up impressively well since. This back injury was, in essence, his first major scare.

Backs are tricky, and Simmons’ game is uniquely predicated on physicality. If he isn’t comfortable driving to the rim and absorbing contact, his production will take a hit. He won’t succeed with a wobbly back, and it’s up to Philadelphia to make sure he doesn’t re-aggravate the injury.

The Sixers need to answer more than a few questions in Orlando. With no home-court advantage (and also no true road games), no one has a good read on exactly how effective Philadelphia will be. The Sixers’ expectations are hard to peg down.

Simmons is one of the biggest factors to consider when determining those expectations. If he enters the postseason at full health, Philadelphia has a decent chance to at least get to round two. If Simmons is at half-strength, the Sixers’ chances become exponentially less favorable.