For those expecting Philadelphia 76ers prize draft pick Ben Simmons to make his NBA debut sometime after the NBA All-Star break may have to wait until next season.
According to Keith Pompey of Philadelphia Inquirer, Simmons’ foot may not be fully healed. This seems to contradict a report stating that Sixers head coach Brett Brown is expecting No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons to play sometime this season.
76ers president Bryan Colangelo addressed the report on Thursday.
“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,” Colangelo said in a statement.
“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.”
Back in October the thinking was that Simmmons’ injury would only keep him sidelined 3 months, allowing him to hit the court in January.
According to the report the organization has said that they wanted Simmmons to participate in four to five scrimmages before he plays. With only 26 games remaining in the season and if doctors don’t feel comfortable with Simmons’ recovery so far, it seems unlikely that Simmons will play this season.
With a Jones fracture in particular there’s a higher probability of re-fracturing the bone compared with a Zone 1 fracture, which is also known as an avulsion or a “chip” fracture.