The Sixers will start training camp on Sept. 28, less than one week from today. With the return of NBA basketball imminent, there’s an extra weight to all of Philadelphia’s biggest questions — from potential roster squabbles to the 6-foot-10 elephant in the room.
Despite the extreme discord between the Sixers and Ben Simmons, there are generally positive vibes around the organization. Joel Embiid signed his supermax extension and won’t leave Philly any time soon. Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz both re-signed. Tyrese Maxey has been working hard all summer. Jaden Springer is a cool rookie. Andre Drummond and Georges Niang will both help a lot. There’s a lot working in Philadelphia’s favor, even if the Simmons’ saga carries the emotional weight of a lead balloon.
With all that in mind, let’s dive into five big storylines ahead of training camp.
Sixers training camp storylines: Ben Simmons won’t show up
Let’s knock this one right out. Ben Simmons has once again clarified to the team, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, that he will not show up to training camp. He intends to never play another minute for the Sixers, and is willing to incur fines until he finds a new home. Simmons is going to take this the distance if he has to… allegedly.
So, that’s the biggest storyline. Ben Simmons will not be at training camp. It will be incredibly awkward. Doc Rivers did his best truth-bending on First Take yesterday, but it won’t matter. Simmons is out, he doesn’t want to be there, and the entire team will be dancing around questions about him at media day on Monday. That is, unless they don’t dance around the questions. Either way, it will make for good television and a torturous fan experience.