After suffering an acute Jones fracture in the fifth metatarsal bone of his right foot back in September, this year's top overall pick, Ben Simmons, has made significant progress and is now a step closer to finally making his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 20-year-old Australian is reportedly not sporting a walking boot anymore and was spotted on Tuesday morning wearing sneakers during the team's practice session.
Head coach Brett Brown talked about the huge development in Simmons' recovery and could not contain his excitement over the prospect of possibly having him in his lineup soon.
“That is significant.”
“You are looking and I’m like, ‘Here we go.’ Then he walked over to my office and sat down, looking like he was healthy. There was no boot. There was nothing earlier that he was wheeling [around on]. He walked across and sat in my office and I just watched him shoot free throws.
“You see him in a film session. He’s moving.”
However, even with the positive direction Simmons is on right now, Brown made it clear that the team will also take a cautious approach on their promising young forward as they know how important he'll be for the Sixers' future.
“We are going to be extremely careful. Everybody needs to hear that, and you know that. We are going to be extremely careful with how his progression into the team goes.”
“So we are moving it all along in a point that I think is very thoughtful. I think it’s mindful of where he is and how do we grow him.”
The 76ers have placed a minutes restriction on their starting center, Joel Embiid, and have been following it strictly. It won't be surprising if they'll do the same to Simmons once he plays. Even with that limitation, the news about him is still something the Philly faithful are very much excited about.
Follow Us
Subscribe