Should Ben Simmons Suit up When the NBA Returns?
Another day, another video of Ben Simmons working out in Los Angeles.
If you recall, back in February, the Sixers’ Ben Simmons suffered a nerve impingement in his lower back. Simmons took a spill after dunking during this year’s All-Star Game. While it was never confirmed, it has been speculated that was the moment he injured himself. Simmons played the rest of the game and appeared in one game after the All-Star Break but had to leave at halftime.
Before the last two weeks or so, news on Ben Simmons was actually pretty quiet. No work out videos, no comments from the Sixers coaching or medical staff; it was absolute radio silence.
As the restart nears, fans and media are growing curious about Ben Simmons’ availability come the start to the rest of the season.
My question is, is it really worth it?
Recently, Simmons has been seen working out with the likes of former Heat great Dwayne Wade and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. The videos speak for themselves – he looks as good as ever. But will Ben actually play when the season starts back up?
Let me be very clear, Ben Simmons should not play if he is not 100% healthy.
Sixers coach Brett Brown put all of Philadelphia on alert when asked about Simmons’ health upon the resumption of the season. Brown said that he “does not expect” Simmons to be fully healthy when the Sixers take the floor in Orlando.
Sports in 2020 are going to be different no matter what. Between the MLB, NFL, and NHL, no one is going to have a normal season.
The NBA is no exception, so why risk your future for an already botched season?
Let’s be realistic here, we can hope and dream that the Sixers are going to magically use this break to get things straightened out, but I’m sorry to say that the fact of the matter is that they just aren’t that good. The Sixers have problems. They have coaching problems, they have scheming problems, and they have depth problems. There is absolutely no excuse for hurrying Simmons back to play the rest of a muddled season where the team doesn’t have a legitimate chance of winning.
Forget about the jump shot, forget about Simmons not being a “Philly guy,” forget about it all. Ben Simmons is a top player in the NBA, and a back injury is something that will haunt him forever if not healed properly. I’m begging the Sixers, please do not screw this up.
The work out videos are cute, they do the job, but Ben Simmons should not play another second for the 76ers until he is fully healed.
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