Earlier today it was announced that Sixers’ star Ben Simmons would have surgery on his left knee. Shams Charania had the scoop:
The news is disappointing as the prognosis just seemed to only get worse and worse. Going from day-to-day to a few weeks, to now a likely season-ending status. Simmons injured his knee in a seeding game against the Washington Wizards.
This is just the latest in what seems like years of bad injury luck for the Sixers. Ben Simmons missed his rookie year due to injury, Joel Embiid his first two seasons, and the list goes on and on.
It’s unfortunate and especially frustrating as there was nothing that could prevent this.
Side effects of the Simmons injury
There are so many ramifications that come after this injury from the need for his teammates to step up, to potential trade rumors. Brett Brown’s position as Head Coach is also likely affected.
The loss of Simmons is unspeakably frustrating as the team (and the fans) are trying to evaluate the current team and what needs to change. Without a fully healthy team, this becomes impossible.
Almost every player is being questioned (with the exception of Matisse Thybulle) as to their long-term fit in Philadelphia. The team should ideally judge it’s players based on their impact when healthy so this throws another wrench in the Sixers offseason plans.
Brett Brown will likely also head into the offseason affected by this injury. Many thought Brown’s time as Head Coach was up assuming the Sixers suffered through another mediocre postseason but there was a growing feeling that the suspension of the NBA season would play a part in saving his job. Now with the news of Simmons’ surgery, Brown likely has another excuse for staying.
Hopefully, Simmons can heal up quickly and effectively. Clearly, though there is no other course of action than to take the steps to preserve Simmons’ health.
Mandatory Credit: Ashley Landis/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
