Philadelphia 76ers has made a firm decision on Friday, Feb. 24 to rule out its new player Ben Simmons for the entire season. The team decided to let his foot to recover completely.
The announcement was made by the 76ers president Bryan Colangelo as reported by Philadelphia Inquirer. The decision was taken after the latest scan from the doctors on Thursday showed his fractured foot has not fully recovered.
"We're not going to put him in a position to risk a re-fracture," Colangelo said regarding the decision. He also stressed the importance to make sure his star player to completely recover.
This decision was taken as the regular season will end in the next two months. The Sixers is now in the 13th position and will unlikely make the playoffs. Therefore, the team management made this decision.
Despite his injury in the beginning of his career, Simmons received many praises from his team mate because of his work ethics, as reported by ESPN. Shooting guard Nik Stauskas said that he never heard Simmons complaining or looking upset during his rehabilitation process. While forward Dario Saric said that Simmons always joins the team practice, while he also practice on his own.
Saric admitted the type of injury Simmons has is not an easy one to heal, therefore it is better for him to fully recover. Stauskas said that players like Blake Griffin and Joel Embiid also missed their first seasons, but they come out strong afterward.
Head coach Brett Brown still hoped to play the 6′10″ forward before the result from the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York came out Thursday, Feb. 23. However, he was glad the Sixers has acquired Tiago Splitter and Justin Anderson from Atlanta Haws. Splitter and Brown was working together in San Antonio Spurs for three years before Brown coached the 76ers in 2013.
Watch the talk at the ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” below regarding the decision from 76ers management to ruled Simmons out for the entire 2016-17 season:
