The Philadelphia 76ers just couldn’t catch a break.
Sixers prized rookie Ben Simmons went down with a foot injury during training camp. Currently, no timetable has been set yet for his return.
That is bad news for Philadelphia, who
hopes the 19-year-old will be spearheading them to a much-improved
season. For now, the future is again put on hold as Simmons is confirmed
to have broken the fifth metatarsal bone of his foot.
Even though the team has not said
anything about surgery or a return, we can more or less ascertain how
much time Simmons will miss. Portland Trailblazers guard C.J. McCollum was cleared to practice two months after suffering the same injury while Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez returned two months after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture on that same bone.
And while that alone is bad news, there is potentially worse news along the way.
On Simmons’ foot: I did a study in 2014 and found 12 NBA bigs who had a broken foot. Seven subsequently had a second major foot injury.— John Ezekowitz (@JohnEzekowitz) September 30, 2016
Apparently, odds are stacked against
Simmons and other NBA bigs who suffered broken foot. Even so, the
previously mentioned McCollum and Lopez (along with Kevin Durant) has played on to become All-Stars after the injury.
At this point, Philadelphia essentially
has no one on the roster that can consistently create shot for others
while being a threat on his own. This development could push GM Bryan Colangelo to make some moves involving the team’s biggest trade assets Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor. If nothing goes down, however, expect all three Sixers point guards to have decent value.
Jerryd Bayless
Photo: Getty Images via nba.com/sixers
Bayless had his best statistical season
of his career in 2015-16 with career-high marks in rebounding (2.7),
steals (0.9), and three point percentage (43.7%). The problem is Bayless
is not a high assist rate guy with only 5 dimes per 36 in his career.
However, because of his three-point shooting and scoring, he is expected
to play a lot of minutes for Philly.
T.J. McConnell
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sportshttp://www.fantasybasketball101.com/life-without-ben-fantasy-impact-ben-simmons-injury/
