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Due to his pre-existing lower back nerve impingement, Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons had access to the Sixers' practice facility during the NBA hiatus.
With that said, Simmons used the hiatus to strengthen his back and now he's feeling better than ever as he gets set to return to the court.
Ben Simmons says he's feeling great, and has added more muscle during his rehab for his back injury. Said overall he's added "more strength." Says he feels more explosive and more controlled in what he's trying to do with his body. Says he's ready to go when team can practice.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 2, 2020
Prior to the season getting suspended in March, Simmons was averaging 16.7 points, 7.8 boards and 8.2 assists in 54 games for the Sixers. The former No. 1 overall pick was shooting 58.5 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc and 62.7 percent from the free-throw line.
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The Sixers' eight seeding games begin on August 1 against the Indiana Pacers. Philadelphia will also face the San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets.
Before games were suspended in March, the Sixers were in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings despite having a stellar home record of 29-2. The team was only 10-24 on the road.
Once the 2020 playoffs start, the Sixers will ultimately go as far as Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Al Horford can lead the franchise. Philadelphia has lost in the second round of the playoffs in the last two years, so the club is certainly motivated to go on a deep run this season.
However, if the Sixers fail to meet expectations at Walt Disney World, there's a strong chance that Simmons or Embiid could get traded and head coach Brett Brown could be fired.
