The Philadelphia 76ers front office put on a masterclass to start the offseason with their slew of heady signings and a flashy blockbuster trade. Nabbing Anfernee Simons for cheap from the free agency market is definitely one of their well-received moves, although people who were more keen about his performance last season were probably concerned about his health.
Fortunately, it appears that the 27-year-old guard will be just fine. As per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Noah Levick, Simons himself said the left wrist injury which bothered and eventually took him out of commission last year is almost completely healed, noting that ultimately, it is not a cause of concern. While this will go under the radar, the 76ers should be thrilled with this development.
This past season, Simons managed to suit up in only six games for the Bulls after getting shipped away by the Celtics at the trade deadline due to nagging issues with his wrist. As fans probably already know, that can be a bothersome injury that tends to recur, so Simons saying that he is close to recovering fully is very good news for the team.
Anfernee Simons delivers a good news every 76ers fan should be happy with
Depth remains a primary concern for the 76ers, so having injury-prone players is the last thing they would want. And with Simons expected to fill such a critical role in the coming season, him being healthy could very well determine the team's course in the regular season.
A high-octane scorer in his own right, Simons will be counted on to lead the offense for the 76ers' second unit, which ranked 27th in the league in scoring last season. He will definitely receive a major load with ample playing time to boot, so there really is no room for him to get injured and miss games. After all, beyond him, the team no longer touts other proven backcourt operators.
Sure, the 76ers may have the most talented starting five in the NBA next season, but it will all be put to waste if they do not have a functional second unit. Right now, Simons is the end-all, be-all of their bench, so having him out there on the floor will be absolutely vital for this team to win as many games as possible in the regular season.
Hopefully, Simons' wrist will no longer be a pesky issue. The 76ers will be relying on him to man a critical role off the bench, and the best way for him to accomplish his duty is to actually be in the position where he can play in the first place.
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