Sixers guard Ben Simmons missed his fourth straight game today with flu-like symptoms, but he’s showing signs of recovery, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Coach Doc Rivers provided an update this afternoon, though he’s not sure when Simmons might be healthy enough to start playing again.
“I talked to Ben (Friday) and this morning,” Rivers said. “All I ask is how he’s feeling. I didn’t ask like, ‘Hey, how are you feeling? You know, when are you coming back?’ I don’t typically do that. I’ve always learned they’ll tell us, the trainers will tell us. And then the players will tell us.”
Rivers added that Simmons’ illness isn’t related to COVID-19, and blood work has indicated that he’s suffering from the flu.
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Rookie power forward Paul Reed missed today’s game after being placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, Pompey adds. Rivers declined to provide any more details, but said he’s not concerned that other players might be at risk of catching the virus. “If it was (contagious), then the team would be in protocol,” he said. “So the NBA always does the contact tracing and all that stuff, and we’re good there.”
- Dwight Howard picked up his 15th technical foul of the season today, meaning one more will result in an automatic one-game suspension. Rivers questioned the technical, saying Howard was singled out because of his history with officials, tweets Derek Bodner of The Athletic. “I thought Dwight’s tech was pure reputation,” Rivers told reporters. “… There is not another player on the floor, in my opinion, that would have gotten a tech for the same thing Dwight did. Not one player would have gotten that tech.”
- Tobias Harris has registered the second-highest jump in efficiency in the NBA this season, and Louis Zatzman of FiveThirtyEight contends that the roster changes the Sixers made helped Harris refine his game.
How many times is Simmons going to get the flu this season? He’s resting, that’s all. It’s like when college kids use the dead grandparent excuse for an 8 AM class.
He’s been resting for the past 4 games, while the Sixers are battling for important playoff seeding? Sure thing, man…
Hopefully Ben is ok…
He needed 4 games of “rest” apparently? Does a 24-year old player really need to rest up for the playoffs in order to get past the Bucks or the Nets?
Maybe he’s secretly working on his jumpshot
He could work on that jump shot from now until the end of time and it won’t get better but maybe a couple percentage points. He needs to totally change form and get that elbow underneath the ball when he shoots instead of out like a chicken wing. Sometimes they’ll show him from the back when he’s shooting his free throws and his left elbow is pointing towards the sideline and then he flips it up there and the accuracy will be low forever trying that way.
Yes there’s a few guys with funny form that shoot well but apparently Ben isn’t one of them. You have to love his overall skill of getting to the basket and scoring ability in the painted area and is length and of course his defense. But to be top 10 guy he has to fix that shot. Look how Luca shoots the ball.. totally straight arm and if Ben could shoot like that he’d be an MVP conversation player like Luka doncic is, or will be.
Great observations on Simmons and Luka… Simmons is a respectable jumpshot away from being truly top tier. I, too, doubt he’ll ever improve enough as a shooter to where he’s comfortable taking multiple jumpshots per game.
And, as far as that elbow…. it has to be (SLIGHTLY) out – as is Luka’s… and Redick’s, Curry’s, Klay’s, etc. If it’s straight up and down under the ball you gotta have a double-jointed wrist lol.
Through 9,000 career minutes Simmons has shot 5/34 from 3 for 14.7%. Not much better at the line, he’s a career 59.8% shooter. For comparison, Shaq was a career 52.7% FT shooter. If he could shoot even 75% from the line he’d probably up his PPG by 5-7.
The sad reality for Philly is the way Simmons is being used, he’s a lot closer to Ricky Rubio than Luka. A great passer and perimeter defender, who 20 years ago would have been a Jason Kidd-level, All-NBA player, who’s playing in the wrong era for his skillset.
Having said that, I’d *still* like to see him in a situation where he’s the #1 option, just to see what his ceiling is in a situation where his lack of shooting is mitigated as much as it can be.
J. Kidd made 1,988 3 pointers which Simmons will reach in the 3610-11 season at his current rate.
LOL true. Kidd at least took them but didn’t make more than 35% until he was 31. Pretty amazing the guy was shooting over 40% by the time he was done.
Yes, he needs 4 games of “rest”. It’s almost like he is sick and isn’t healthy enough to play.
Rivers was giving the refs a hard time tonight. IDKY he thinks that does not matter, or that he might put his own team on edge, or make it more likely his most on-edge player’s behavior won’t get nipped in the bud. I did Not notice the calls favoring one team in the first half when Rivers started ranting audibly in a mostly empty arena. I did not watch half 2. If you sign Howard, you’re going to get Ts. He plays better disciplined anyway.
A bigger problem is missing Embiid & Simmons. The Milwaukee guards were fearless and flying… not always the case.
Harris doesn’t get enough credit—to me he’s the team’s second best player.
I get people are in love with Simmons’ D, but it seems like his offense is actually regressing—in addition to the fact he still cannot shoot a lick.
I mean, I liked Andre Roberson’s defense too, but there’s a limit on how valuable perimeter D is. I wonder if down the line Morey is going to regret haggling over the Simmons for Harden trade.
This game was an example of what happens when Simmons is absent… the opposing guards can do what they want unfettered.
Morey had to decide whether he wanted to tie his legacy to Harden’s… besides comparing the two. Also at the time Embiid was making pro-Simmons quotes.
Yes Rivers is good for Harris.
I was looking forward to this as a litmus test for both MIL & PHI so while happy with the wins it came up short in terms of determining who is the East’s Big Dog.
It’s funny I remember the Don Nelson days and how he wouldn’t want to show his hand so to speak, to the other team they could possibly face later.
In fact one year in game 1 verses the Lakers in a playoff series Chris Mullin sat out !! This was long before the internet so I never found out why.. I guess it was an injury or something but the Warriors came back in game two and won behind Mullin’s play.
Was it strategy to not show all your cards and concede a game 1 loss in the hopes a fresh 25-point guy would come in and alter the second game outcome? Perhaps. The Warriors were the big-time Underdog against the PowerHouse Lakers so I wouldn’t put it past them to try something like that.
Seems like game one of seven is the least important game. Of course the anouncers will say the most crucial game is tonight’s game, whichever it is.
Ben is fine. If you think otherwise you’re an imbecile.
I don’t think Ben is fine with being fine. Fine is an NBA starter making the playoffs and having a nice little career.
If you think Ben is fine with being fine then you’re out of line. I would say that Ben is 100% aiming for so much more than that.
Also, sorry to read that you must resort to name-calling rather than giving us intellectual dialogue to support your assertion. I wish you well with that strategy as you go through your day.
I’ll second Gary’s notion.