Ben Simmons is nearing his NBA debut according to Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown. Brown has been closely monitoring the progress of Simmons in his recovery and says that his recovery has sped up.
The 20-year old Australian was chosen number one overall at the 2016 NBA Draft by the Sixers. He was able to play a few games during summer league until he broke the fifth metatarsal of his right foot during training.
Simmons has been wearing a moon boot on his right foot after he underwent surgery. This week, he was able to remove the boot and wear a real basketball shoe. He's still not able to run the floor or do drills that involved running and jumping but it's a positive news for the Sixers.
"He walked out on the court in sneakers and he shot free throws," Brown said. "So, that is significant to me," he added. During Simmons' recovery, Brown has spent some time with him studying films and even giving him a point guard theory test. Brown has expressed his desire to play the 6-foot-10 Simmons at point guard which will make the Sixers a really young and lengthy team like the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Sixers are targeting January for Simmons' debut. Although this is encouraging news, the Sixers are, by now, wise enough to not rush his return after a slew of injuries have sidelined their talented group of big men. Joel Imbiid just played his first NBA season after being sidelined with foot injuries that required two surgeries. Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor have also missed time with their share of injuries.
"We're all going to be just extremely careful - everybody needs to hear that," Brown said. "We're going to be extremely careful with how his progression into the team goes," he added.
