NBA Rumors: Will Ben Simmons Sit Out Entire NBA Season For Philadelphia 76ers?

NBA rumors about Ben Simmons aren’t good for Philadelphia 76ers fans. Simmons could miss the entire NBA season after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot. A report from NBA.com had several analysts weigh in on the situation, with the majority feeling that the team should approach the situation with extreme caution.

It was a report from ESPN.com that revealed the 76ers had lost Simmons for a while. While participating in the final training camp scrimmage for the 76ers, Simmons was hurt when he landed on another player’s foot. It was determined that this was an acute injury and not a stress reaction, but that it would indeed require surgery.

The early prognosis for Ben Simmons is that he could be lost to the Philadelphia 76ers for at least a few months. The injury is estimated to take three months to heal, but it is something that could become problematic if it does not heal properly. This has already raised a lot of questions about whether Simmons will sit out the entire 2016-17 NBA season or try to get back quickly.

Philadelphia 76ers team president Bryan Colangelo has already addressed these NBA rumors, showing that he will do everything to protect the future of his No. 1 draft pick.

“I feel very badly for Ben to be in a situation to start his career this way. But this is an injury that he should come back from and have a very successful and long career.”

This is continued bad news for fans of the 76ers, as the team has had a lot of problems with recent NBA draft picks. The No. 3 overall pick from the 2014 NBA Draft (Joel Embiid) still hasn’t played a game for the 76ers after going through multiple surgeries on his right foot. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft (Jahlil Okafor) also went through injuries, culminating in season-ending surgery on his right knee last season.

Going back even further, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Nerlens Noel with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but he had to sit out his entire rookie season with a torn ACL. Losing Ben Simmons to an injury may not have been that surprising to a fan base that has been dealing with injuries to prized prospects over four straight NBA seasons. Now the prospect that Simmons could miss the entire 2016-17 NBA season just seems to come with the territory.

NBA analyst Ian Thomsen weighed in with his thoughts on the situation. He is of the mindset that Ben Simmons needs to be back on the court as soon as possible and that sitting out an entire year isn’t always beneficial.

“When did sitting out the season become a thing? The 76ers could shelve him if they decide in the New Year if they want to tank for another high Draft pick, but right now they appear to be more interested in trying to show improvement. My advice is for him to approach his rehab with a sense of urgency: Try to get him back on his feet as fast as possible, and then make a prudent, cautious decision. But don’t shut him down preemptively.”

The Philadelphia 76ers finished the 2015-16 NBA season with a 10-72 record, making it the third straight season where the franchise failed to win 20 games. The fan base is starved for success and has turned in some very low attendance numbers as a result. Ownership knows that they need Ben Simmons back on the court as soon as possible, but has to weigh the risks of losing him to new injuries. These NBA rumors will be addressed again around December, but 76ers fans should prepare themselves for the possibility that Ben Simmons is done for the year.

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