Last week, number one overall pick Ben Simmons suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot and was forced to undergo surgery which will likely keep him sidelined for 3 months.
If the delay in seeing the promising rookie debut for the 76ers is not enough, there is now a chance that he'll sit out the entirety of the 2016-17 season – if it were up to the 20-year-old Australian's agent, Rich Paul, that is.
Appearing on 97.5 Fanatic radio show, Bob Cooney of Sixers Daily News Beat shared his conversation with an NBA source he described as someone he really trusts:
“I just got off the phone with somebody who I really trust in the NBA, and he’s like there’s no way his agent is going to let him play this year. That’s an injury that you don’t mess around with, and he thinks he’s going to keep him off his feet all year.”
Cooney later clarified his statement via his Twitter account, stating that it was his opinion and it may vary depending on the person's understanding of the matter:
As I just wrote, opinions on Simmons vary, from doctors to people around the league. Some believe he'll be back this year, this one didn't.
— Bob Cooney (@BobCooney76) October 3, 2016
Given the history of the Sixers being patient with their rookies when dealing with injuries, it would not be surprising at all to see the LSU product debut for the team during the 2017-18 season. Their top pick from the 2014 draft, Joel Embiid, will only see action for them for the first time this season after dealing with foot injuries the past two seasons.
If there's one thing we learned from the Embiid situation, the Philadelphia 76ers are certainly willing to wait until their player is fully healthy,
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