Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons “good to go” for NBA re-start

By Christopher Kline | Jul 1, 2020

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

The Philadelphia 76ers have reversed course on their Ben Simmons narrative.

The Philadelphia 76ers plan to have a full-strength Ben Simmons when the NBA season resumes in Orlando, according to head coach Brett Brown.

"“He’s doing a lot better than [previous tentative comments] would indicate. He’s good to go. He’s put in a tremendous amount of work.”"

This is a significant change in tone from two weeks ago, when Brown expected Simmons to be “brought along slowly.” With players traveling back to market and teams gearing up for a resumption of play, one can assume the Sixers have gotten a more complete picture of Simmons’ health in recent weeks. This is a drastic change in tone from Brown and the organization, but the abnormal circumstances make the change in tone understandable.

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Simmons’ return should still be an exercise in caution for the Sixers. Back injuries are notoriously tricky, and Simmons is a uniquely physical downhill athlete. He’s a 6-foot-10 wrecking ball, and any minor discomfort in his back could drastically diminish his performance level.

Physicality is essential to Simmons’ style of play. So when the Sixers call him 100 percent — when Brown says he will receive the same treatment as Shake Milton or Matisse Thybulle — one would hope Simmons is truly back to full health.

"“We’re going to treat Ben like we maybe would Shake or Matisse [health wise]. He’s good to go….we look forward to watching him with what I’m told is effectively 100 percent health.”"

The Sixers’ track record on this front is a bit suspect. You don’t have to go back far to remember Joel Embiid tearing his meniscus after a premature return on national TV. Or Markelle Fultz, who in a few weeks time saw any progress made with his shoulder deteriorate.

It’s imperative that the Sixers treat Simmons carefully. He probably shouldn’t receive a full workload, even if he is effectively 100 percent. The Sixers should prioritize health over seeding, because the difference between the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 seed — at least in terms of championship odds — is minimal. Home-court advantage is no longer a concern.

With that said, this does come as promising news. It means Simmons is further along than initially expected, which means the Sixers are even healthier than we previously thought. Philadelphia has struggled to keep all its core players on the floor this season. Having (almost) the entire roster healthy is a big positive. It could also feed into the “sleeper” narrative.

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Any chance the Sixers have at winning the NBA championship revolves heavily around the health and effectiveness of Ben Simmons. He is a two-time All-Star for a reason, not to mention a fringe candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. The Sixers need Simmons like a plant needs water. This is a splendid, if surprising, development.