Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons will miss the remainder of the NBA season after suffering a left knee injury.
What We Know:
- Simmons suffered a left patella subluxation during last Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards. The patella subluxation means his kneecap popped out of place and returned on its own. On Monday, Simmons underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to remove a loose body resulting from the injury. Simmons left the Orlando bubble on Sunday and the surgery took place in Philadelphia. Simmons plans on recovering and rehabbing in Philadelphia as well.
- Simmons’ absence will be a hard blow to the 76ers. The 76ers entered the 2019-2020 season with high expectations. With two of the best players in the league and after coming off of a Game 7 loss in the second round of the 2019 playoffs, the 76ers were looking to take the next step and contend for a championship. However, the team drastically fell short of expectations this year.
- The 76ers are only the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference this year and have one of the worst road records in the NBA. While the team had a stout defense, their offense only ranked 17th in the league and they struggled to get much production outside of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The team encountered more bad luck on Sunday when Embiid injured his left ankle against the Portland Trail Blazers. While the injury is not expected to be serious, Embiid is sitting out Tuesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. With Simmons out and Embiid banged up, it’s hard to see the 76ers advancing in the playoffs.
- Although the 76ers struggled throughout the season, Simmons was having an excellent year. He made his second all-star appearance and was one of the best defensive players in the league. He put up great all-around numbers, averaging 16.4 points a game, 7.8 rebounds, and 8 assists. He will also likely lead the league in steals with 2.1 a game.
With Simmons out, the 76ers will have to rely more on their supporting cast. Center Al Horford is back in the starting lineup and he shined in Friday’s win over the Orlando Magic, finishing with 21 points and 9 rebounds.
