Simmons returns to 76ers practice, will play ‘when he’s ready’

Simmons
demanded
a
trade
following
last
season
and
remained
absent
from
Philadelphia
for
the
first
two
weeks
of
preseason
work
before
showing
up
on
October
11
to
begin
fulfilling
COVID-19
protocols
that
would
allow
him
to
re-join
the
championship-chasing
franchise.

The
76ers
open
their
2021-22
campaign
at
the
New
Orleans
Pelicans
on
Wednesday
but
head
coach
Doc
Rivers
said
he
does
not
know
whether
All-Star
Simmons
will
be
available.

“I’m
going
to
wait
and
see,”
Rivers
told
reporters.
“Conditioning
I
would
say,
just
watching
him,
I
thought
he
was
in
decent
shape.
Still
not,
obviously,
game
shape.”

The
76ers
will
play
their
home
opener
against
Eastern
Conference
rivals
the
Brooklyn
Nets
on
Friday,
and
the
Australian
guard
–
scrutinised
after
the
team’s
shock
Eastern
Conference
semi-final
loss
to
the
Atlanta
Hawks
–
figures
to
get
an
unfriendly
welcome
from
the
Philadelphia
crowd
whether
he
plays
or
not.

Perhaps
with
that
dynamic
in
mind,
Rivers
was
asked
whether
he
had
thought
about
whether
to
give
Simmons
his
season
debut
at
home
or
on
the
road,
but
he
demurred.

something’s
brewing.

—
Philadelphia
76ers
(@sixers)

October
17,
2021

“No
–
right
now
I’m
just
trying
to
get
him
back
comfortable
and
integrated.
I’m
not
even
thinking
about
that,”
Rivers
said.
“That’ll
come
at
some
point
but
there’s
no
game
plan
there,
I
can
tell
you
that.
When
he’s
ready,
he’ll
play.”

Simmons
did
not
speak
to
reporters
Sunday
but
team
officials
indicated
he
would
later
this
week.

The
number
one
overall
pick
in
the
2016
NBA
Draft
has
averaged
15.9
points,
8.1.
rebounds
and
7.7
assists
in
four
seasons
with
Philadelphia
and
has
been
named
to
the
All-Star
Game
the
last
three
years.

But
the
25-year-old’s
struggles
in
the
playoffs
and
a
contract
that
will
pay
him
$33million
this
season
with
three
years
and
$114m
remaining
on
his
deal
after
that
have
made
it
difficult
for
the
76ers
to
find
a
trade
partner.

Getting
Simmons
back
on
the
court
could
help
in
that
endeavour,
though
it
appears
he
may
have
to
work
to
do
to
smooth
things
over
with
his
team-mates.

While
guard
Furkan
Korkmaz
told
reporters
he
had
missed
Simmons
and
“personally
I’m
happy
to
see
him
back
here
on
the
court,”
forward
Tobias
Harris
declined
to
get
into
specifics
about
an
awkward
reunion
but
added
that
it
would
not
matter
once
games
begin.

“The
vibe
was
what
it
was,”
Harris
said.
“Was
it
perfect?
No.
But
we’re
here
to
do
a
job,
and
that’s
to
win
basketball
games.
We
put
on
our
big
boy
pants
and
get
on
the
floor
and
do
what
we
do.”

Simmons
–
an
elite
defender
–
and
his
shooting
problems
were
laid
bare
during
the
2021
postseason
with
the
top-seeded
76ers.

Former
number
one
draft
pick
Simmons
had
no
fourth-quarter
field-goal
attempts
in
his
last
four
games
of
the
playoffs
last
season.
He
is
the
only
NBA
player
in
the
last
20
seasons
to
have
four
consecutive
postseason
games
with
no
field-goal
attempts
in
the
fourth
quarter
during
a
season
in
which
he
was
an
All-Star,
according
to
Stats
Perform.

Simmons
averaged
just
10.1
field-goal
attempts
in
2020-21
–
a
career
low,
which
dropped
to
7.9
in
the
playoffs.
It
was
the
same
story
with
his
scoring
as
it
dropped
to
a
career-worst
14.3
points
per
game
and
11.9
in
the
postseason
–
both
career
lows.

Then
there
is
Simmons
and
free
throws.
He
was
exposed
by
rival
teams
as
they
regularly
sent
him
to
the
line,
with
the
Melbourne-born
guard
making
just
25
of
73
shots
in
the
2020-21
playoffs.
His
34.2
free-throw
percentage
is
the
lowest
ever
in
a
single
postseason.