While Sixers center Joel Embiid has a chance to return from his shoulder injury within the next week, sources tell ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that Ben Simmons‘ recovery timeline is harder to pin down. Simmons, who is dealing with a nerve impingement in his lower back, will be re-evaluated next week.
As Shelburne explains, the Sixers are waiting for the inflammation around Simmons’ nerve to subside. The club is hoping to get him back before the end of the season so he can get his feet under him again before the playoffs. But at this point, that’s “just a hope,” given the uncertainty surrounding the injury, Shelburne writes.
Here’s more on the 76ers:
- Shelburne’s ESPN article on the Sixers’ up-and-down season is worth reading in full, with head coach Brett Brown, GM Elton Brand, and big man Al Horford among those providing quotes. Brown, notably, expressed plenty of confidence that Embiid and Simmons are capable of not just co-existing and thriving, but of winning a title together. “I know these guys,” Brown said. “It’s like how my wife knows when my kids are going to get sick about two days before they get sick. When you’re a parent, you know your kids. And so I look at these two guys and I know they can win together. They can and they will.”
- In the wake of a report suggesting the 76ers may explore trading Horford in the offseason, Chris Mannix of SI.com asked a veteran NBA executive about the possibility. “I would be shocked if he has value,” the exec said of Horford. “They might have to include an asset for someone to take him off their books. He has not looked good this year. His movement, it just seems a step slow, on both ends. I think they have to try to trade him. He obviously can’t play with Embiid. The goal should be to divide that salary over a couple of players and make them deeper. But I don’t know how they are going to do that.”
- Glenn Robinson III, who expressed some confusion last week about what role the Sixers wanted him to play, is feeling a little better about his place in the rotation these days. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Robinson showed on Tuesday why the 76ers traded for him, scoring 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting. He said after the game that he’s continuing to “get a feel for my teammates.”
I don’t know if it’s so much that Horford can’t play with Embiid, as much as it’s Horford can’t play with Embiid and Simmons and Harris. 4 PF/C’s at the same time is a bit much
The problem with the Sixers lineup is like the opposite of the Rockets, too many bigs clogging up the middle and no shooters.
If that guy can’t figure out how to structure a Horford trade and with whom, he should be an ex-veteran NBA Executive.
Horford has no market. And your pitiful franchise has no relative draft capital to pair with Horford. There was a reason you got him over Celts. Danny thanks you for taking him away. And for Tatum.
You can now begin to tank in earnest. And in the words of Bain: “You now have my permission to cry.”
Celtics, like the Sixers will be watching the NBA finals from their couch ot yachts in the Caribbean.
Quick fix in June is a Kings trade deal.
Horford, Harris, 1st for
Barnes, Hield
Solves problems both teams.
Money doesn’t work. Theres like a 13M+ difference. You’d have to include Richardson which makes that trade pretty bad for the Sixers.
Sorry I meant 13 the other way, the Sixers would need to take on other pieces from the Kings.
Works for philly , love buddy