How will the Philadelphia 76ers do without Ben Simmons in the playoffs?

Moving forward

The cloud inside of the crystal ball for the 76ers future just got cloudier.

In the short term, they could be in trouble. In the long term, the ripple effects could be devastating. With the type of injury that Simmons suffered and the procedure he will undergo, there is a slim chance he could return for a deep run in the playoffs. However, would he want to rush back and risk reinjury for a season that could go down in history books with an asterisk next to it? Will Brett Brown panic and try to reinsert Simmons into the lineup to save his head coaching job? Or, does he see the emergence of Alec Burks and rebirth of Al Horford’s game as an asset to the future success of the team?

With four seeding games before the playoffs, some tough decisions must be made. In the next few weeks, so much is riding on the knee of Ben Simmons. Will the Sixers have enough talent to take them to the promised land in his absence, or will his absence lead to a first round disappointment?

Want to hear more discussion about Simmons’ injury impact on the team? Check out the next episode of The Sixer Sense Podcast, to be released on Monday, August 10.