More on Ben Simmons Injury
Shams Charania: 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are out today vs. Denver due to injury, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium .
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star forward Ben Simmons will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is likely to miss the rest of the season, sources tell ESPN. Simmons will have a loose body removed from his left knee in the coming days, the team announced Saturday.
Only a deep Sixers playoff could keep a fleeting hope of his return alive this season, sources said. Even then, his return from the procedure -- expected to take place outside of the Disney campus in the coming days -- is largely expected to come next season. The Sixers are preparing now for a postseason run that will come without Simmons, one of the league's most talented and versatile weapons.
The Athletic: Sixers point guard Ben Simmons is leaving the NBA bubble to remove a loose body in his left knee, sources tell @Shams Charania.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Philadelphia’s All-Star F Ben Simmons will undergo surgery to remove a loose body in his left knee, sources tell ESPN.
Adrian Wojnarowski: While the Sixers haven't ruled Simmons out for the season, sources say it would take a deep run into the playoffs to keep the door open on the possibility of a return --- and that's still an iffy proposition. For now, the Sixers need to prepare for a postseason without Simmons.
The Philadelphia 76ers have no clarity on how long All-Star forward Ben Simmons will be sidelined after partially dislocating his left knee cap. For the sake of preparing his team for the postseason, however, has Sixers coach Brett Brown told his players to brace for the worst-case scenario? "No," Brown told USA TODAY Sports following the Sixers’ 114-108 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday. "Everybody thinks different things, so I don’t want to be full of (BS) and say, 'No, everybody thinks he’s playing tomorrow.' People know we were just trying to play tonight knowing we didn’t have Ben and that we’re going to learn more later. But no is the short answer."
Mark Medina: Brett Brown said there isn’t any new update on Ben Simmons. He’s out tonight vs Orlando, but is sifting through recovery options
Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown did his best to put on a brave face as he spoke to the media Thursday afternoon. But in the wake of learning that All-Star Ben Simmons would be out indefinitely with a subluxation of his left patella, Brown couldn't help but admit the obvious frustration over the situation. "This one stings, for sure," Brown said.
Brown said the Sixers should know within the next 24 hours what the next steps for Simmons will be. The team said in its statement Thursday that treatment options were being considered. Simmons has already been ruled out for Friday's game against the Orlando Magic. "Yeah, it's a little frustrating sometimes," guard Josh Richardson said of losing Simmons. "But that's the way the game goes. So we're going to just have to have a next-man-up mentality like we've had all year. Guys will pick up the slack, and when we get him back, he'll fit back in seamlessly.
That will hinge on a couple of primary factors: which treatment option Simmons decides on, and how his body responds to the treatment. While Simmons' general durability and recovery from a recent back injury are encouraging factors, it's hard to say what the timetable looks like until the specifics are hammered down. Surgery is usually not recommended for first-time injuries of this nature, but even conservative treatment plans can last in the neighborhood of six weeks.
Brown, who sat down for dinner with Simmons on Wednesday evening inside the bubble, recalled the work Simmons put in to get ready for the Orlando restart in the first place. One word to sum up Simmons' mood? "There is clearly disappointment. I don't know if anyone really understood what he did to get ready to play basketball again. He really invested time," Brown said. "It's monotonous, some of the smaller things he had to do...I think the uncertainty of what really is it right now is obviously there. But he's a great teammate, and his teammates care about him."
Shams Charania: MRI on 76ers star Ben Simmons’ left knee came back clean and he's expected to be day-to-day, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Early indications on Ben Simmons are encouraging — no swelling or pain in left knee after leaving court, sources tell ESPN.
Tom Moore: #Sixers coach Brett Brown: 'He’s doing a lot better than (previous tentative comments) would indicate. He’s good to go. He’s put in a tremendous amount of work.'
“My opinion, and this is not confirmed yet, is that we are going to be able to inch him back into this,” Brown said. “Is he going to be 100%, I don’t expect that. But I think he is going to be available.” Brown has kept busy the last few months. When the NBA shut down, Brown put his staff to work. He searched for reasons why a team that was 29-2 at home could be a dreadful 10-24 on the road. Everything from travel schedules to hotels to team meetings were dissected. He studied the offense, which failed to click, especially in the half court. He studied the defense, which slipped into the middle of the pack after Christmas. “It was what did we do well and what didn’t we,” Brown said. “And let’s fix the stuff we didn’t.
Keith Pompey: #Sixers GM Elton Brand is optimistic that Ben Simmons (back) will return if or when the season resumes. But Brand was asked if the PG would be ready if the playoffs were today: "It’s tough because of him not playing 3-on-3, 5-on-5 just to speculate there. But when I FaceTime him during his workouts, during his treatment and I see him, I’d be highly encouraged that his ramp up would be different. We took our time. We’ve been methodical and thoughtful about his recovery and rehab just to make sure, because we weren’t in a rush. It’s hard to speculate, but he’s been working hard, and I know he’d be closer or ready."
Keith Pompey: #Sixers GM Elton Brand: "Ben and others have been given permission to use our facility. It is essential that they can get the proper equipment to work out and rehab. So that’s where he’s been. He’s been doing that ever since the first week. We were able to get him access there."
Jeff Zillgitt: Sixers’ Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid we’re allowed to use teams practice facility for some rehab, I’m told.
This is what Simmons must navigate, a cauldron of controversy -- whenever play resumes. The hope of a mid-April return for the playoffs has been deferred, though sources tell ESPN that Simmons will be good to go as his lower back impingement has all but dissipated. "If the season resumes," says a team source, "we're expecting to have him."
The last official update on Simmons was on March 11, when Philadelphia released a statement announcing he would be "reevaluated in three weeks." But multiple team sources confirmed the original plan was always to bring Simmons back for the postseason and, depending on his comfort level, work him back in for a "handful" of regular-season games.
Kyle Neubeck: Simmons on the injury: “There’s no timeline on it. Whenever I’m back I’m back... when I’m healthy, I’ll be playing.”
Jon Johnson: Asked Ben Simmons if surgery is an option if rehab does not fully correct nerve impingement:"I think that's something down the road if it gets to that, but right now I'm doing great".
Simmons will be reevaluated next week as the Sixers wait for the inflammation around the nerve to subside. The team hopes he can return before the playoffs, sources say, and with enough time to get back into shape. But, at this point, that is just a hope.
Justin Kubatko: Giannis Antetokounmpo in February: ✅ 28.3 PPG ✅ 17.0 RPG ✅ 6.4 APG He joins Charles Barkley (March 1987) as the only players since the ABA-NBA merger to average at least 25 PPG, 15 RPG, and 5 APG in a calendar month (min. 5 GP). pic.twitter.com/hfhnDVaWlE
Justin Kubatko: Giannis Antetokounmpo in February: ✅ 28.3 PPG ✅ 17.0 RPG ✅ 6.4 APG He joins Charles Barkley (March 1987) as the only players since the ABA-NBA merger to average at least 25 PPG, 15 RPG, and 5 APG in a calendar month (min. 5 GP). pic.twitter.com/hfhnDVaWlE
The nerve impingement diagnosis lacks clarity because the cause of the impingement is a critical factor in Simmons’ recovery. That detail has not been released, so we’re a bit in the dark. (The Sixers have yet to release an official statement on Simmons’ injury, but a team representative confirmed to The Athletic it is “nerve impingement in the lower back.”) What we do know is Simmons was dealing with back issues before Saturday’s game. According to the team, Simmons initially felt discomfort last Wednesday, during the first practice following the All-Star break. He received treatment following that practice, and again on Thursday as he still experienced pain. He then missed last Thursday’s game against Brooklyn with “lower back tightness.”
Again, the following expertise includes an important caveat: These doctors have not seen Simmons’ MRI. They are speaking based on their own experience and expertise with the type of injury that has been reported. Clearly, all of the details surrounding Simmons’ injury are not known, at least publicly. Still, with all of these factors in mind, we consulted with two experts for clarity on what a nerve impingement means: Boden and Dr. Michelle Noreski, an assistant professor of Temple’s Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine.
Here are some of their general (again, the key word here) takeaways: It could be a disc issue: We don’t know for sure what’s causing the pinched nerve. But both doctors independently said that, based on the information the public has, the most common cause of a nerve impingement is a disc (cartilage in between the vertebrae in the spine) flaring up.
If it is a herniated disc, rest and treatment are typically the first option: In these cases, surgery would result in a sizable amount of pain. Boden estimates that 90 percent of herniated discs resolve spontaneously without surgery. Simmons will, according to Charania, “undergo daily treatment and rehab.”
Shams Charania: Tests on 76ers star Ben Simmons revealed he suffered nerve impingement in lower back and he will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks, league sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
Adrian Wojnarowski: After lower back injury on Saturday, Ben Simmons underwent initial evaluation in Philadelphia today and will undergo further testing tomorrow, league sources tell ESPN. He will be out for Monday's game vs. Atlanta.
Jon Johnson: Per team spokesperson, Ben Simmons will undergo further testing on back today. An update will follow soon after. Simmons initially suffered the injury going up for a rebound at practice on Wednesday.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Philadelphia's Ben Simmons will undergo an MRI on his lower back on Sunday, league source tells ESPN. He was definitely in some pain tonight after game vs. Bucks.
There is some level of concern surrounding the possible nature of the injury, league sources tell ESPN. A clearer picture is expected after testing on Sunday in Philadelphia.
Tim Bontemps: Ben Simmons doesn’t look right. He appeared to maybe tweak his back after going into the cameras following the layup he made a minute ago. Something to monitor.
Serena Winters: Ben Simmons will not return. He irritated his lower back. #Sixers
Jon Johnson: Ben Simmons, Shake Milton will play tonight
Jon Johnson: Shake Milton probable tonight. Trey Burke questionable(left calf). No word yet on Ben Simmons.
Jon Johnson: Ben Simmons questionable for tomorrow night. Al Horford out-planned. Shake Milton-doubtful.
Jon Johnson: Sixers are optimistic Simmons could be upgraded tomorrow.
Kyle Neubeck: Ben Simmons will be listed as out for tomorrow’s game vs. Charlotte. A Sixers team spokesman says Simmons continues to progress and improve and that he will be re-evaluated on Monday.
Ben Simmons didn’t give a timeline for his return. The 76ers point guard, who is sidelined with a Grade 1 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, deferred the return question to the team’s public relations department. “I’m going to make sure I’m 100 percent before I come back, though,” Simmons said Friday night.
Kyle Neubeck: Ben Simmons update: Today’s evaluation confirmed a Grade 1 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder. He will be listed as OUT for tomorrow’s game vs. Denver, re-evaluated this weekend prior to Sunday’s game vs. Charlotte. His status for that game will be updated as appropriate.
Chris Haynes: Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons is likely to miss the next three games with a Grade 1 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Chris Haynes: Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons underwent an X-ray on his right shoulder, which came back negative and he will be further evaluated today, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Keith Pompey: #Sixers’ PG Ben Simmons’ status for tonight’s game has been downgraded to out with lower-back tightness. It’s just a precautionary measure by the #Sixers. He wound be available to play if this was a regular-season game.
Serena Winters: Ben Simmons & James Ennis III both practiced today. Per Sixers, their status for Friday’s game will be determined after tomorrow’s practice. If everyone is healthy, Brett Brown says Friday’s game will be like a dress rehearsal (in terms of mins) for the season opener Tuesday!
Serena Winters: Both James Ennis (right calf strain) and Ben Simmons (back tightness) will sit out tomorrow nights preseason game vs. Detroit (precautionary). Al Horford (rest) also out. #Sixers
Serena Winters: Ben Simmons will not play tonight (gastroenteritis). TJ McConnell will start in his place. #Sixers
Kyle Neubeck: Ben Simmons and Mike Scott are both expected to play tonight, per Brown, after missing practice yesterday
Derek Bodner: Ben Simmons and Mike Scott both missed practice today with upper respiratory infections. #Sixers.
Keith Pompey: Ben Simmons will play tonight
Jessica Camerato: Ben Simmons will play. Joel Embiid still a game-time decision.
Jon Johnson: Ben Simmons sprained his ankle in the first quarter. Played through it. Is now in a bucket of ice.
Keith Pompey: Ben Simmons is playing
Chris Haynes: Yahoo Sources: Philadelphia guard Ben Simmons (back) plans to make his return to action tonight against Milwaukee.
Serena Winters: Ben Simmons (lower back tightness) will not play tonight. Brett Brown says he’s still figuring out the starting lineup.
Sarah Todd: #Sixers did not provide an update on Ben Simmons today (an off-day for the team). A full update is expected Monday following practice.
