76ers Look to Be Ready For Restart: Simmons, Embiid to Be Good to Go

There has been plenty of uncertainty when it comes to the NBA’s restart later this month at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando. We’ve seen guys choosing to opt out for a variety of reasons ranging from visitation with children (Trevor Ariza), to protect their health with impending free agency (Davis Bertans), for health concerns of their family (Avery Bradley) and after testing positive for COVID-19 (DeAndre Jordan) in the last couple of weeks. That has taken some names off the board. On the flip side, we remain uncertain as to the status of the Pacers’ Victor Oladipo or the Wizards’ Bradley Beal, both of whom have yet to make a decision about their plans.

There are some positives to look at in regards to the league’s restart as far as having star talent on the floor. The Philadelphia 76ers, who stand sixth in the Eastern Conference playoff picture when the eight-game seeding schedule gets underway, are expected to have a couple of stars that were banged up when the season was paused.

According to 76ers head coach Brett Brown, the team expects to have both point guard Ben Simmons and center Joel Embiid back on the floor when the season restarts for the team on August 1. Simmons has been out of the lineup for the 76ers since February 22 and had missed eight straight games with nerve issues in his lower back. Had the playoffs started on time back in April, it was unlikely that he would have been ready for the 76ers. With the layoff, he’s had ample time to rehab and recover for the playoff run. Brown said about Simmons, who was averaging 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists and a league-leading 2.1 steals per game when the season was paused:

“He’s good to go. He’s put in a tremendous amount of work for me to be able to confidently say that. I think when you search for silver linings with this pandemic and the way things have shaped up, it would be hard-pressed for me to find something more obvious than this. It’s enabled Ben to reclaim his health. But I think ‘inching along’ from maybe a month ago, that is not true.”

Embiid has dealt with a litany of injuries this season, including surgery on his left hand after breaking a finger. He also missed five games with a sprained left shoulder before returning in the final game before the pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Embiid has a world of talent but continues to be hampered by injuries. He played only 44 of the first 65 games that the 76ers took part in this season and has yet to log more than 64 games in any of the six seasons since he was drafted. The first two seasons after he was selected he missed due to foot and knee injuries. His injury issues have continued to be a major concern. He was averaging 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 blocks at the pause.

Brown stated that he is thrilled with the work that Embiid has put in to get ready for the restart. "Let's start with the respect and applause I give him for putting in time. There is nobody on our team that has put in more time than Joel Embiid. Forget what he has actually done in the gym for a minute, just go to the man hours and consecutive days and the amount of days he has put in over the past few months. I'm proud of him, I respect him. He needed to do it. We understand the impact he can have on our team."

Having the duo on the floor will give the 76ers a good chance of improving their standing in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. With Indiana dealing with the uncertainty surrounding Oladipo and the Miami Heat being inconsistent this season, Philadelphia has their quartet of veteran pieces with Simmons, Embiid, Tobias Harris and Al Horford to lean on to carry things. The problem for the 76ers is going to be their health concerns and their inconsistent bench group. Simmons and especially Embiid, who signed a five-year, $148 million extension that kicked in before the 2018-19 season began, have to step up and deliver at this point. Whether they do or not is going to determine how close the team comes to claiming their first title since 1983.