Ben Simmons Injury Update: Will 76ers rookie play this year?

Philadelphia 76ers rookie forward Ben Simmons hasn’t fully recovered from the foot surgery he had that has delayed his NBA debut.

Ben Simmons was originally slated to return to the court in December or January, but it looks like he may be out a bit longer. According to Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Keith Pompey, a scan on Simmons’ surgically repaired foot has not fully healed yet. The Sixers would be well served to take their time with Simmons’ and let him heal so he’ll be able to come back 100 percent.

The rookie forward has yet to make his NBA debut but has practiced in a limited capacity with the 76ers the past few weeks, participating in various drills. He could be on the court within a month, but it will be up to how he heals in the coming weeks. The 76ers would benefit from having Simmons on the same court as Joel Embiid, who is no stranger to injuries of his own.

The Sixers are 21-35, so having Simmons back should help them gather some more wins as a team. Having another scoring machine will certainly help make the 76ers a legit threat instead of being the butt of a joke as they have been the past few years of their constant rebuilding process. But they have made significant progress and are trending up as a franchise, largely because of the breakout season of Embiid, so a playoff appearance may not be that far away from them.

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Regardless, the 76ers are hoping to get Simmons on the court so they can get the ball into his hands and see what the No. 1 overall pick is able to do when he’s healthy. However, they may have to wait a bit longer than they anticipated, which is nothing new for them after waiting two years for Embiid to make his highly anticipated debut.