Brian Windhorst: Ben Simmons has been cleared for 5-on-5 work after a clean scan on his right foot today. But he is not expected to play in summer league.
More on Ben Simmons Injury
The 76ers wonder: "What if?" What if, after establishing himself as one of the NBA's elite big men, Joel Embiid hadn't suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in his left knee? "A lot of us talk about it all the time," T.J. McConnell said. "Not only Joel, but Ben [Simmons]. If we had everyone that was supposed to play, I don't think the game on Wednesday [against the New York Knicks] would be our last game of the year."
Tom Moore: #NBA source: Ben Simmons' monthly foot scan 'currently not scheduled.' Had scans Jan. 23 & Feb. 23 that showed hadn't fully healed. #Sixers
Simmons has not been able to do much on the court because of his slow recovery from a Jones fracture in his foot. However, his participation in five-on-none drills has been a benefit for the coaching staff. "It helps," Brown said. "I see different things when I watch him out there. You can see how you can post smaller people. You can see how he might be effective in different ways that you didn't [see] drawing it on paper."
Prior to Monday night's game against the Bucks, Sixers coach Brett Brown was asked if Simmons and Joel Embiid, whose left knee and cautiousness with his right foot surgeries are limiting him to 31 games this season, would play in the summer. "I think it's too early to make that judgment," Brown said. "I hear the question, but I think that's certainly stuff that we're talking about. But in relation to giving a definite answer, we're not even close to being there yet."
76ers rookie Ben Simmons had bone marrow injected into his right foot Monday morning at the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York.
The bone marrow was injected into an unhealed area as a way to "stimulate bone growth and accelerate healing." The Sixers said he's likely to resume normal training by the end of this week.
Tom Moore: Told plan is for Simmons to continue with monthly scans ... No thought to Simmons going to Aspetar in Qatar, where Embiid went twice.
Brian Seltzer: Colangelo on Simmons: "He's heartbroken. Wants to play, be out there. It's eating him alive, I'm sure." Team plans to help him through this.
Jake Fischer: Bryan Colangelo announces Ben Simmons will not play this season.
Bob Cooney: Simmons went through individual workout today
The Sixers provided the following statement from GM Bryan Colangelo on today’s Ben Simmons news: We continue to monitor the recovery of Ben's injury and are employing a conservative and thoughtful approach to his rehabilitative program, basing his return to full basketball activity on the advice and direction of medical professionals. His next CT scan is scheduled for February 23, after which our medical team will thoroughly review and evaluate his status moving forward. Ben's long-term health remains our primary concern.
Tom Moore: #NBA source told me Jan. 24 Ben Simmons went 'through a planned follow-up appointment with the operating physician (day b4).' No specifics. #Sixers
Sirius XM NBA: "He is looking good. He has the potential & all of the hype" @Jahlil Okafor on @Ben Simmons #NBAAllStar
Now we have a better idea why Ben Simmons hasn't played yet for the 76ers. The first overall pick in last summer's draft is scheduled to visit the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York as early as Monday to determine if his right foot is fully healed, according to multiple sources.
Sources said that a foot scan on Jan. 23 showed that his foot was not fully healed. Simmons suffered a Jones fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot on Sept. 30, the final day of training camp. The January doctor's visit revealed an inside portion of the bone wasn't fully mended, according to sources.
Sources said back in October that injury would only sideline him about three months, in which case he would have returned around January. A source reiterated that Simmons' foot not being fully healed isn't a result of the on-court drills in which he participates. However, the Sixers have held him out of participating in five-on-five scrimmages for fear of further injuring the foot.
Jessica Camerato: Brett Brown on @Ben Simmons: "We do expect him to play this year." Will have better sense of when after the All-Star Break.
Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown said he expects to have rookie and number one overall pick Ben Simmons on the court in a game this season. "Our plan is to still see him on the court, playing games," Brown told ESPN on Wednesday. "We just don't know when. I fully expect him to play this season," he added. "He thinks that, and he's motivated to play."
However, sources told ESPN that both Brown and Simmons are in favor of the 6-foot-10, 240-pound point guard/forward making his NBA debut this season, the decision ultimately rests with the Sixers management on whether Simmons plays this season. Simmons fractured his foot at the end of September, and the team is being cautious - especially after dealing with Joel Embiid and his rash of injuries the last couple of years.
Brown told ESPN that Simmons is running, jumping and cutting - but hasn't been cleared for contact. Brown has been putting the Simmons through individual workouts, and also has been doing 5-on-0 work.
Asked pregame at the Spectrum Center whether Simmons would start playing some more and get to the 5-on-5 area, Brown didn’t hesitate with his answer about the rookie who fractured his foot on the last day of training camp on Sept. 30. “I don’t think so,” Brown said. “I feel like he’s moving forward, but to say that we believe he’s going to be ready for 5-on-5 during the All-Star break would be misleading. I don’t see that.”
Brett Brown: “(Ben Simmons) is moving forward but it’s at a very slow pace, our pace. I think when we all get back and he’s around the team again, because it’s not an ideal situation to manufacture 5-on-5 during a break, then we can better craft and construct to allow the return to play to be more responsible.”
Derek Bodner: Colangelo: "Ben (Simmons) wants to play basketball in the worst way" Continues to say he will only play when healthy and that he's not ready
Brian Seltzer: Bryan Colangelo on @975TheFanatic on Embiid, Simmons: "We're taking every precaution. It's a long-term scenario" as opposed to rushing.
Brian Seltzer: Brown also said if all things equal, plenty of benefits to having Simmons play this year. Sound, medical decisions will ultimately dictate.
Tom Moore: #NBA source: No final scans for BS Mon; had followup appt with operating phys. Continuing rehab prog. Still no timetable 4 playing. #Sixers
Jessica Camerato: Ben Simmons had a planned scan yest with operating physician in NY. Per Sixers, he's progressing as expected, still no timetable for return.
Brian Seltzer: Bryan Colangelo tells @CSNPhilly that Ben Simmons should be getting a final scan on Monday. No specific timetable, but return "soon enough."
Philadelphia 76ers rookie forward Ben Simmons could make his much-anticipated NBA debut shortly after the All-Star break, league sources told ESPN.
Barring a recovery setback, sources say the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft has a chance at being on course to take the hardwood near March. There still remains the possibility Simmons sits the entire season, sources said, but his situation will continue to be thoroughly evaluated throughout his comeback quest.
76ers coach Brett Brown squashed speculation about Ben Simmons making his debut against the Houston Rockets on Jan. 27. The rumor started when ESPN announced late Tuesday that it was dropping the Jan. 27 Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls game to pick up the Sixers’ matchup. Shortly afterward, a picture of Simmons was posted on Instagram. Then suddenly, social media went abuzz with speculation. “There is no chance,” Brown said Wednesday. “I am a social hermit. I have no idea what you are talking about. But I do know there is no chance that he will play then.”
Dan Gelston: No. 1 meet No. 1. Ben Simmons is here to watch Villanova.
The Sixers wrapped up their morning shootaround at their hotel gym, and then the real action started. Ben Simmons, on his first road trip with the team since fracturing his foot on the last day of training camp, ran some sprints, took some jumpers, defended one-on-one for a bit and worked up a sweat with the Sixers staff. His lack of conditioning was evident, but it was a great sign for the team that the top overall pick was on the floor getting his shirt wet with perspiration. "It’s good, that’s his first trip so it’s good for him to feel included with us," said Joel Embiid of Simmons. "It’s good to have him and hopefully in the future he gets healthy."
Simmons posted an Instagram photo from that night with Embiid, Nik Stauskas, T.J. McConnell and Nerlens Noel. The rookie had remained in Philadelphia while the team was on the Sixers' nine-day road trip and linked up with them when they returned from Denver. Embiid said the gathering came to be from texting one another. “That’s something I feel like Ben is going to appreciate a lot because I was in that type of situation,” Embiid said. “When I was by myself I felt kind of left alone and when I had guys around me it just made me feel better.”
“That’s fantastic,” Brown said after taking a look at the post. “I really like stuff like that. You know how important is it to all of us to grow a continuity, a family. When you have people in and out, in and out, and people’s future are uncertain, words end up cheap. “To grow that type of thing off the floor is the holy grail. You combine that work they’re doing on the floor with stuff where they interact and coexist, it’s not the be all or end all, but it certainly helps. That stuff is very pleasing to me.”
Ben Simmons made another step toward his return — in sneakers. The first overall pick took free throws for the first time without a boot on Tuesday. Simmons has not played this season after suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot on the final day of training camp. There still is no official timetable for his NBA debut. “He walked out on the court in sneakers and he shot free throws,” Brett Brown said after practice. “That is significant to me. Then he walked over to my office and sat down looking like he was healthy. There was no boot, there was nothing earlier that he was wheeling.”
Keith Pompey: Brett Brown on Ben Simmons' rehab. “We are going to be extremely careful. Everybody needs to hear that, and you know that. We are going to be extremely careful with how his progression into the team goes."
76ers coach Brett Brown has always had every intention to make Ben Simmons a point guard. His latest declaration of that came Wednesday. And the transformation will come sooner than the Sixers originally scheduled. “When he’s ready to go to the court, my intention is to give him the ball and let him be the point guard,” Brown said. “That’s the plan. That doesn’t just happen. It takes a little bit of time to introduce him.”
Ben Simmons took a spot in the Philadelphia 76ers locker room instead of the starting lineup on opening night. Simmons, the 2016 No. 1 overall draft pick, hoped to return at some point this season from a broken bone in his right foot and said he was never involved in any discussion about sitting out the season. "I'll come back when I'm ready," Simmons said. Simmons was expected to become the franchise player for a forlorn Sixers team coming off a 10-72 season. Simmons instead attended the season opener on Wednesday in street clothes and was set to watch the game against Oklahoma City from the locker room. Simmons was injured last month during a training camp scrimmage. The Australian forward played at LSU last season. "As soon as I get out there, I'd love to play," he said.
The 2016-17 NBA season is underway, and Ben Simmons will play in it, Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil said on TCN's Breakfast on Broad. Simmons, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, suffered an acute Jones fracture in his right foot during the final scrimmage of training camp. He underwent surgery on Oct. 4 and recently had the sutures removed. “Injuries happen, as we saw with Simmons, who fortunately will be back this season, which is terrific news,” O’Neil said Wednesday morning.
There had been speculation as to whether Simmons' agent, Rich Paul, would let him play this season. O’Neil shrugged off that chatter. “No, it’s not true,” O’Neil said. “Yeah, he’ll be back.”
“It’s not doom and gloom,” Brett Brown told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Ben (Simmons) is coming back in January. We are still trying to find information on Jerryd [Bayless]. Jahlil [Okafor] is still trying to touch the court in his first preseason game.” Simmons had surgery to repair the fracture on October 4th. January 3rd would be 13 weeks post-surgery, which is close to the 10-12 week timeline orthopedic surgeon Daniel Cuttica explained as a typical recovery timeline for Simmons’ injury.
Keith Pompey: #Sixers expect Ben Simmons back in 'January' philly.com/philly/blogs/s… via @phillysport
Jeff Goodman: Philly GM Bryan Colangelo is in attendance here at UMass for the Sixers exhibition game against Boston after spending the morning to support rookie Ben Simmons in New York before and after his foot surgery. Colangelo said Simmons was in good spirits after the surgery.
The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that forward Ben Simmons underwent successful surgery to repair an acute Jones fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his right foot. Simmons suffered the injury when he rolled his ankle after landing on the foot of another player during a 76ers team scrimmage on September 30, 2016.
Simmons' rehabilitation will fall under the supervision of Sixers Director of Performance Research and Development Dr. David T. Martin. "Our sports performance and medical staff was debriefed by Dr. O'Malley following the procedure, and we were encouraged by the positive feedback," Martin said. "Moving forward, a comprehensive return to court program will be implemented for Ben, and we will closely monitor his progress throughout the rehabilitation process." Additional information regarding Simmons’ recovery and return to play timetable will be provided as available and when appropriate.
Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News on 97.5 The Fanatic: I just got off the phone with somebody who I really trust in the NBA, and he’s like there’s no way his agent is going to let him play this year. That’s an injury that you don’t mess around with, and he thinks he’s going to keep him off his feet all year.
Brian Seltzer: Joel Embiid told Ben Simmons to keep his head up, be patient, and do all the right things in rehab. Feels Dario Saric will be good fit.
Tom Moore: #Sixers Dario Saric: 'I didn't believe it' when learned of Ben Simmons injury.
Jessica Camerato: Bryan Colangelo said Ben Simmons likely requires surgery.
Tom Moore: Bryan Colangelo: 'I feel badly for Ben that he has to start his career this way.' Calls injury 'acute.' 'This is something we want to get right.
Tom Moore: #NBA source: #Sixers 'not commenting further at this time' about Simmons beyond Friday night release.
Jeff Goodman: Simmons likely out until December or maybe even January, source told ESPN. Team expected to be cautious with the No. 1 pick.
Philadelphia 76ers prized rookie Ben Simmons is scheduled to undergo surgery next week on the broken bone he suffered Friday in his right foot, according to league sources. It remains unknown specifically how long the No. 1 overall pick will be sidelined, but sources told ESPN on Saturday that the Sixers and doctors involved believe Simmons suffered an acute injury -- caused by landing on another player's foot -- and not a stress reaction.
Two sources with knowledge of doctor examinations of Simmons said Saturday that the injury is an acute fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone caused when he landed on the foot of teammate Shawn Long during a Friday scrimmage at Stockton University in New Jersey. The Sixers, wracked by injuries to several top draftees in recent years, were initially hopeful Simmons merely rolled his ankle.
Marc Stein: Ben Simmons update: Sixers and doctors involved believe rookie suffered an "acute injury" unrelated to weight and plan for surgery next week
Jamal Crawford: Keep your head up @BenSimmons25 .
Bob Cooney: Two sources confirmed that Simmons the fracture and that Simmons will be evaluated further. Team will post announcement shortly
