Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons said Wednesday that there has been no talk about him sitting out the season because of his broken foot, and his weight had nothing to do with the injury, via ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, offered no updated timetable on his return.
From ESPN:
"No," Simmons said flatly when asked if anyone has advised him to sit out the season to let his foot recover. "There's a lot of talk, somebody put that out there. But I will come back when I am ready.
"There is no timetable on getting healthy. I am working every day to get back. As soon as they tell me I can play, I will be out there."
...
"I came down on somebody's foot, so it wasn't anything weight-wise or anything to do with that," the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Simmons said ahead of the 76ers' opener against the Thunder. "My playing weight was fine. I know a lot of talk was about that. It happened."
This is a direct response to 1. the rumor that his agent, Rich Paul, won't let him play this year, and 2. the perception that his offseason weight gain caused the injury -- trainer Tim Grover asserted this as soon as the news broke, and ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy brought it up during the broadcast of the Sixers' season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said last week that Simmons is expected to return in January. Until then, Sixers fans can watch Joel Embiid make spectacular plays every game and dream of the day the two prized prospects share the frontcourt.
