Philadelphia 76ers All-Star point-forward Ben Simmons injured his knee during Thursday’s 107-98 win against the Washington Wizards.
It happened midway in the third quarter, and without contact. While dribbling outside the paint, he dumped the ball inside and immediately stretched his left knee, possibly checking the severity of the pain. He then head to the locker room and was unable to return.
Following the game, it was revealed that it’s a partial dislocation on his kneecap, and that he’ll be out indefinitely.
Unfortunately, things have transpired quickly for the worse since as it now reported that Simmons has opted to undergo surgery. With the usually lengthy timetable of surgeries, especially for such an injury, this likely means that Simmons will be out for the remainder of the season.
Here’s ESPN Senior Insider Adrian Wojnarowski breaking the news:
What does the injury mean for the Sixers?
It’s obviously a big blow as he is a major piece of the team. Simmons is an elite point-forward with great speed, court vision, handles, slashing ability, and defensive instincts, which is quite the mix to his towering 6’10 frame and tank-like built.
Let’s take a look at some numbers that highlight his importance:
He leads the team in assists, steals, field goal percentage, triple-doubles, true shooting percentage, overall win shares, offensive win shares, defensive win shares, and VORP (Value Over Replacement Player). He also leads all Sixers starters in offensive rating per 100 possessions.
With Joel Embiid out for nine games (January 9-25), he averaged 21.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per game on 65.3% shooting. The Sixers went 6-3.
Who can step up to fill the void?
Joel Embiid – Being Simmons’s co-star from the start, the All-Star big man will have the most pressure to step up. He’s had a great showing in the bubble thus far (30.3 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 53.8 FG%), so he appears ready to produce more than usual.
Tobias Harris – We should see a good uptick in Harris’s scoring as he may have more leeway in creating offense for himself. He’s behind Embiid in team scoring at 19.6 PPG and currently averaging 24 PPG in bubble.
Shake Milton – The unheralded 2018 second-round pick is continuing to show flashes of his true potential, and should be poised to breakout further. He’s had 16 and 14-point games in the bubble, and has also hit a go-ahead three-pointer in crunch time. He averaged 17.8 PPG in a nine-game stretch prior to the league’s March shutdown, when Simmons and Embiid were both out.
Josh Richardson – As a two-way stud with a good ability to attack inside-out, Richardson can be a sleeper pick in this scenario. He’s averaging 13.6 points on the season.
Al Horford – The wily veteran still has gas in his big tank, and has always shown the ability to fill the stat sheet. His 21-point performance yesterday with Simmons out might be a preview of him turning back the clock.
Alec Burks – It’s a super darkhorse pick but Burks boasts a fearless offensive game. He, too, may have showcased a preview yesterday as he tallied 22 points in 27 minutes off-the-bench.
The Sixers are 3-1 in the bubble and have won three-straight games. They are 42-27 on the season and currently in a close race with the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Next on Philly’s calendar are the Portland Trail Blazers. The two will face tomorrow at 6:30 AM (Manila time).
