*** -- PROCESSING Your Philadelphia 76ers -- ***

1…211212214216217…523

Comments

  • pjhawks
    pjhawks Posts: 12,911
    The Juggler said:

    http://www.libertyballers.com/2017/1/12/14252856/sixers-fans-stop-worrying-about-lottery-position-get-behind-joel-embiid-nerlens-noel-ben-simmons

    For the first time since the Allen Iverson era ended, Sixers fans finally have an exciting, up-and-coming basketball team. There’s a future superstar in the middle, a No. 1 overall pick about to return, and a supporting cast starting to settle into their roles. It’s unlikely for the Sixers to win 80 percent of their games, as they have since the start of 2017, but improvement is here.

    So let’s get something straight — stop concerning yourself with where the Sixers are in the lottery, and take a moment to soak this in.

    After three years of obsessively following top college prospects, I understand it might be hard to break the mindset. Markelle Fultz looks like a future star, and adding another stud to this mix could make the Sixers’ rebuild nearly idiot-proof. A lot of you never openly rooted for losses — they were mostly just an expected result — but came to accept the benefits of stripping down the team.

    But Joel Embiid is here now. He has been a two-way force, a possible All-Star, good enough on his own to carry the team to new heights. Embiid is the star fans have been waiting for and hoping the team might find in the draft. Now that he’s in the picture, alongside the other interesting players and mega-prospects they have on board, the lottery should be approached as a bonus, not the No. 1 priority.

    Think about how last night’s game unfolded. Embiid was off for a lot of the night, failing to cash in on open jumpers and struggling to get into a rhythm on offense. The game looked out of reach with a few minutes to play, and then he pulled out a Euro-step and-one, banked in a three, and made one of the defensive plays of the season to contest Carmelo Anthony on a weak-side block. It was the type of sequence only special players can make. Suddenly, the dust had settled and Embiid finished with a 21-14 line in a game where he didn’t really “have it”.

    When you find a player who can do that even on his off nights, you need to treasure every moment you get with him on the court. Given Embiid’s health history, it’s even more pressing to hold onto every minute the Sixers get with him on the court, and to root for he and the team’s success unrelentingly.

    In the mid-80s, the Houston Rockets looked like they’d be a dynasty. Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, in their second and third years respectively, blitzed the Lakers in the 1986 Western Conference Finals. They looked like a duo who could rule the league for the next decade. Sampson’s body started giving out on him the very next season, the Rockets’ supporting cast fell apart, and Olajuwon wouldn’t climb the summit again until a completely different team rose in the Micheal Jordan-less stretch in the mid-90s. The Oklahoma City Thunder are a modern parallel to this, minus the injuries.

    Philadelphia might be a long way from the trajectory of those teams, but the principle is the same. You never know when the good times are going to stop. It’s a lot easier to focus on the long view than the day-to-day grind of following an NBA team. Debating Embiid’s long-term upside vs. the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns is more fun than dissecting a mid-season loss to the Charlotte Hornets. For teams at the top, a la the Cavs and Warriors, the overanalysis of each stumble can be exhausting.

    When the Sixers were winning with a cast of perpetual role players, even those of Andre Iguodala’s overqualified caliber, rooting for draft position was a different story. The franchise was locked in an endless cycle back then.

    Today’s bunch are a totally different story, if only because of Embiid’s presence. He is putting up borderline unprecedented numbers after a two-year layoff. He is good enough on both ends of the court to power them to bigger and better things; the Sixers don’t need to draft a savior this year, they need to find players who help push him (and Ben Simmons) to their ceilings.

    The lottery is exactly what it’s labeled as — a lottery. It would be wonderful to win it every time the Sixers don’t make the playoffs, but thanks to planning from the last regime, they are not dependent on it to push forward into the future. They have currency to make the team better; the Lakers pick, Kings pick swap (and future first), other bigs, and boundless cap space are all avenues through which the Sixers can build the program.

    The maneuvering that got them here was to make sure they are not reliant on one rebuilding tool or method. The Process is about having outs, about flexibility and the ability to switch gears on the fly. At its core, it was never about tanking or losing intentionally or having to win the lottery, as critics might claim. It was undertaken with the knowledge everything is not always going to fall neatly into place.

    It feels impossible to see the joy Embiid plays with and fixate on what the wins and losses mean for lottery position. Think of what he’s gone through to get here — two years of arduous rehab, assimilating in a foreign country and hoping his dreams haven’t been flushed down the tubes by the failure of his own body. Consider his personal tragedy, the loss of his younger brother Arthur, and how hard it must have been to cope with as he tried to find his way as a professional.

    As worrywarts liked to remind Sixers fans about the lottery for three years and counting, “there are no guarantees”. But there is a budding superstar already on the team. There is another potential star gearing up for his debut, a growing aura of positivity that will help attract free agents, and a pipeline of picks to help fill in around the core guys.

    Philadelphia has waited a long time for the Sixers to find “the guy”. Now that he’s here, it’s time to let lottery concerns go and get behind him.

    must be exciting for you to find someone who wrote an opinion that Embiid is really good. you've proven how much you love others opinions. bravo Juggler
  • The Juggler
    The Juggler Posts: 49,594
    pjhawks said:

    The Juggler said:

    http://www.libertyballers.com/2017/1/12/14252856/sixers-fans-stop-worrying-about-lottery-position-get-behind-joel-embiid-nerlens-noel-ben-simmons

    For the first time since the Allen Iverson era ended, Sixers fans finally have an exciting, up-and-coming basketball team. There’s a future superstar in the middle, a No. 1 overall pick about to return, and a supporting cast starting to settle into their roles. It’s unlikely for the Sixers to win 80 percent of their games, as they have since the start of 2017, but improvement is here.

    So let’s get something straight — stop concerning yourself with where the Sixers are in the lottery, and take a moment to soak this in.

    After three years of obsessively following top college prospects, I understand it might be hard to break the mindset. Markelle Fultz looks like a future star, and adding another stud to this mix could make the Sixers’ rebuild nearly idiot-proof. A lot of you never openly rooted for losses — they were mostly just an expected result — but came to accept the benefits of stripping down the team.

    But Joel Embiid is here now. He has been a two-way force, a possible All-Star, good enough on his own to carry the team to new heights. Embiid is the star fans have been waiting for and hoping the team might find in the draft. Now that he’s in the picture, alongside the other interesting players and mega-prospects they have on board, the lottery should be approached as a bonus, not the No. 1 priority.

    Think about how last night’s game unfolded. Embiid was off for a lot of the night, failing to cash in on open jumpers and struggling to get into a rhythm on offense. The game looked out of reach with a few minutes to play, and then he pulled out a Euro-step and-one, banked in a three, and made one of the defensive plays of the season to contest Carmelo Anthony on a weak-side block. It was the type of sequence only special players can make. Suddenly, the dust had settled and Embiid finished with a 21-14 line in a game where he didn’t really “have it”.

    When you find a player who can do that even on his off nights, you need to treasure every moment you get with him on the court. Given Embiid’s health history, it’s even more pressing to hold onto every minute the Sixers get with him on the court, and to root for he and the team’s success unrelentingly.

    In the mid-80s, the Houston Rockets looked like they’d be a dynasty. Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, in their second and third years respectively, blitzed the Lakers in the 1986 Western Conference Finals. They looked like a duo who could rule the league for the next decade. Sampson’s body started giving out on him the very next season, the Rockets’ supporting cast fell apart, and Olajuwon wouldn’t climb the summit again until a completely different team rose in the Micheal Jordan-less stretch in the mid-90s. The Oklahoma City Thunder are a modern parallel to this, minus the injuries.

    Philadelphia might be a long way from the trajectory of those teams, but the principle is the same. You never know when the good times are going to stop. It’s a lot easier to focus on the long view than the day-to-day grind of following an NBA team. Debating Embiid’s long-term upside vs. the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns is more fun than dissecting a mid-season loss to the Charlotte Hornets. For teams at the top, a la the Cavs and Warriors, the overanalysis of each stumble can be exhausting.

    When the Sixers were winning with a cast of perpetual role players, even those of Andre Iguodala’s overqualified caliber, rooting for draft position was a different story. The franchise was locked in an endless cycle back then.

    Today’s bunch are a totally different story, if only because of Embiid’s presence. He is putting up borderline unprecedented numbers after a two-year layoff. He is good enough on both ends of the court to power them to bigger and better things; the Sixers don’t need to draft a savior this year, they need to find players who help push him (and Ben Simmons) to their ceilings.

    The lottery is exactly what it’s labeled as — a lottery. It would be wonderful to win it every time the Sixers don’t make the playoffs, but thanks to planning from the last regime, they are not dependent on it to push forward into the future. They have currency to make the team better; the Lakers pick, Kings pick swap (and future first), other bigs, and boundless cap space are all avenues through which the Sixers can build the program.

    The maneuvering that got them here was to make sure they are not reliant on one rebuilding tool or method. The Process is about having outs, about flexibility and the ability to switch gears on the fly. At its core, it was never about tanking or losing intentionally or having to win the lottery, as critics might claim. It was undertaken with the knowledge everything is not always going to fall neatly into place.

    It feels impossible to see the joy Embiid plays with and fixate on what the wins and losses mean for lottery position. Think of what he’s gone through to get here — two years of arduous rehab, assimilating in a foreign country and hoping his dreams haven’t been flushed down the tubes by the failure of his own body. Consider his personal tragedy, the loss of his younger brother Arthur, and how hard it must have been to cope with as he tried to find his way as a professional.

    As worrywarts liked to remind Sixers fans about the lottery for three years and counting, “there are no guarantees”. But there is a budding superstar already on the team. There is another potential star gearing up for his debut, a growing aura of positivity that will help attract free agents, and a pipeline of picks to help fill in around the core guys.

    Philadelphia has waited a long time for the Sixers to find “the guy”. Now that he’s here, it’s time to let lottery concerns go and get behind him.

    must be exciting for you to find someone who wrote an opinion that Embiid is really good. you've proven how much you love others opinions. bravo Juggler
    Yes. So exciting that that's not even what the article was about. Nice job reading, 'Takes.
    www.myspace.com
  • pjhawks
    pjhawks Posts: 12,911
    edited January 2017
    The Juggler said:

    pjhawks said:

    The Juggler said:

    http://www.libertyballers.com/2017/1/12/14252856/sixers-fans-stop-worrying-about-lottery-position-get-behind-joel-embiid-nerlens-noel-ben-simmons

    For the first time since the Allen Iverson era ended, Sixers fans finally have an exciting, up-and-coming basketball team. There’s a future superstar in the middle, a No. 1 overall pick about to return, and a supporting cast starting to settle into their roles. It’s unlikely for the Sixers to win 80 percent of their games, as they have since the start of 2017, but improvement is here.

    So let’s get something straight — stop concerning yourself with where the Sixers are in the lottery, and take a moment to soak this in.

    After three years of obsessively following top college prospects, I understand it might be hard to break the mindset. Markelle Fultz looks like a future star, and adding another stud to this mix could make the Sixers’ rebuild nearly idiot-proof. A lot of you never openly rooted for losses — they were mostly just an expected result — but came to accept the benefits of stripping down the team.

    But Joel Embiid is here now. He has been a two-way force, a possible All-Star, good enough on his own to carry the team to new heights. Embiid is the star fans have been waiting for and hoping the team might find in the draft. Now that he’s in the picture, alongside the other interesting players and mega-prospects they have on board, the lottery should be approached as a bonus, not the No. 1 priority.

    Think about how last night’s game unfolded. Embiid was off for a lot of the night, failing to cash in on open jumpers and struggling to get into a rhythm on offense. The game looked out of reach with a few minutes to play, and then he pulled out a Euro-step and-one, banked in a three, and made one of the defensive plays of the season to contest Carmelo Anthony on a weak-side block. It was the type of sequence only special players can make. Suddenly, the dust had settled and Embiid finished with a 21-14 line in a game where he didn’t really “have it”.

    When you find a player who can do that even on his off nights, you need to treasure every moment you get with him on the court. Given Embiid’s health history, it’s even more pressing to hold onto every minute the Sixers get with him on the court, and to root for he and the team’s success unrelentingly.

    In the mid-80s, the Houston Rockets looked like they’d be a dynasty. Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, in their second and third years respectively, blitzed the Lakers in the 1986 Western Conference Finals. They looked like a duo who could rule the league for the next decade. Sampson’s body started giving out on him the very next season, the Rockets’ supporting cast fell apart, and Olajuwon wouldn’t climb the summit again until a completely different team rose in the Micheal Jordan-less stretch in the mid-90s. The Oklahoma City Thunder are a modern parallel to this, minus the injuries.

    Philadelphia might be a long way from the trajectory of those teams, but the principle is the same. You never know when the good times are going to stop. It’s a lot easier to focus on the long view than the day-to-day grind of following an NBA team. Debating Embiid’s long-term upside vs. the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns is more fun than dissecting a mid-season loss to the Charlotte Hornets. For teams at the top, a la the Cavs and Warriors, the overanalysis of each stumble can be exhausting.

    When the Sixers were winning with a cast of perpetual role players, even those of Andre Iguodala’s overqualified caliber, rooting for draft position was a different story. The franchise was locked in an endless cycle back then.

    Today’s bunch are a totally different story, if only because of Embiid’s presence. He is putting up borderline unprecedented numbers after a two-year layoff. He is good enough on both ends of the court to power them to bigger and better things; the Sixers don’t need to draft a savior this year, they need to find players who help push him (and Ben Simmons) to their ceilings.

    The lottery is exactly what it’s labeled as — a lottery. It would be wonderful to win it every time the Sixers don’t make the playoffs, but thanks to planning from the last regime, they are not dependent on it to push forward into the future. They have currency to make the team better; the Lakers pick, Kings pick swap (and future first), other bigs, and boundless cap space are all avenues through which the Sixers can build the program.

    The maneuvering that got them here was to make sure they are not reliant on one rebuilding tool or method. The Process is about having outs, about flexibility and the ability to switch gears on the fly. At its core, it was never about tanking or losing intentionally or having to win the lottery, as critics might claim. It was undertaken with the knowledge everything is not always going to fall neatly into place.

    It feels impossible to see the joy Embiid plays with and fixate on what the wins and losses mean for lottery position. Think of what he’s gone through to get here — two years of arduous rehab, assimilating in a foreign country and hoping his dreams haven’t been flushed down the tubes by the failure of his own body. Consider his personal tragedy, the loss of his younger brother Arthur, and how hard it must have been to cope with as he tried to find his way as a professional.

    As worrywarts liked to remind Sixers fans about the lottery for three years and counting, “there are no guarantees”. But there is a budding superstar already on the team. There is another potential star gearing up for his debut, a growing aura of positivity that will help attract free agents, and a pipeline of picks to help fill in around the core guys.

    Philadelphia has waited a long time for the Sixers to find “the guy”. Now that he’s here, it’s time to let lottery concerns go and get behind him.

    must be exciting for you to find someone who wrote an opinion that Embiid is really good. you've proven how much you love others opinions. bravo Juggler
    Yes. So exciting that that's not even what the article was about. Nice job reading, 'Takes.
    read the title of the article then...

    2nd line
    "There’s a future superstar in the middle"

    and that is one of at least 7 comments regarding Embiid being a star. but yea the article has nothing to with that. ok big guy. nice reading.

    post something in the Phillies thread so i can own there too. or would you rather go into the NY Giants thread and talk shit about their 2 time Super Bowl MVP?
    Post edited by pjhawks on
  • The Juggler
    The Juggler Posts: 49,594
    The article is about enjoying the team playing better because it's lead by Embiid and not worrying about the lottery like most of us have been for the past few years.

    "Own?" Ha. You're like 0 for a million in these threads, man. And, apparently you didn't "own" reading comprehension in elementary school either.

    Sorry.
    www.myspace.com
  • pjhawks
    pjhawks Posts: 12,911
    The Juggler said:

    The article is about enjoying the team playing better because it's lead by Embiid and not worrying about the lottery like most of us have been for the past few years.

    "Own?" Ha. You're like 0 for a million in these threads, man. And, apparently you didn't "own" reading comprehension in elementary school either.

    Sorry.

    funny coming from the Hinke and Chip Kelly lover and the Andy Reid hater. big o for 3 there for ya. but hey bloggers were right there with you on those 3 so you have a lot of company.
  • eeriepadave
    eeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 43,181
    Solid win. Every time Charlotte started to comeback sixers pulled away, great defense.

    https://youtu.be/pevObpyRz2Y
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • The Juggler
    The Juggler Posts: 49,594
    pjhawks said:

    The Juggler said:

    The article is about enjoying the team playing better because it's lead by Embiid and not worrying about the lottery like most of us have been for the past few years.

    "Own?" Ha. You're like 0 for a million in these threads, man. And, apparently you didn't "own" reading comprehension in elementary school either.

    Sorry.

    funny coming from the Hinke and Chip Kelly lover and the Andy Reid hater. big o for 3 there for ya. but hey bloggers were right there with you on those 3 so you have a lot of company.
    "bloggers were right there with me." You literally have no idea what you are talking. But hey, go ahead and post another article from Andrew Porter again...he of the vaunted, CBS Philly sports blogger page. Yup. Right there on the front page (next to Cataldi's podcast link): http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/category/sports/ Get.Your.News.From.Better.Sources



    By the way, here's the title of the article: "Sixers fans should stop worrying about lottery position and get behind Joel Embiid."

    www.myspace.com
  • The Juggler
    The Juggler Posts: 49,594
    eeriepadave said:

    Solid win. Every time Charlotte started to comeback sixers pulled away, great defense.

    https://youtu.be/pevObpyRz2Y

    That was awesome
    www.myspace.com
  • JK_Livin
    JK_Livin South Jersey Posts: 7,365
    If they had Simmons all year, they probably make the playoffs.
    Alright, alright, alright!
    Tom O.
    "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
    -The Writer
  • The Juggler
    The Juggler Posts: 49,594
    Process be processing...
    www.myspace.com
  • eeriepadave
    eeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 43,181
    JK_Livin said:

    If they had Simmons all year, they probably make the playoffs.

    i was thinking of that the other day, especially since most of the eastern conference isn't too good, they would have had a shot.
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • No Coder
    No Coder Brisbane Posts: 1,126
    eeriepadave said:

    JK_Livin said:

    If they had Simmons all year, they probably make the playoffs.

    i was thinking of that the other day, especially since most of the eastern conference isn't too good, they would have had a shot.
    If they keep up this recent form, there's still a chance and with Simmons hopefully on the floor in 3-4 weeks, they could make a late push.

    Still have no idea what they are doing with the Okafor/Noel rotations in and out of line ups. Well, I do sort of understand that they are trying to see what works best with Embiid, but surely Okafor has to be the one to go. I would rather have Noel and importantly I think Embiid has also indicated this with their friendship. I think they have waited too long to make a call, as both Noel and Okafor's value is not equal to what they want to get for them.
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me

    *BEC, Brisbane, March 1995
    *BEC, Brisbane, March 1998
    *BEC, Brisbane, November 2006
    *QSAC, Brisbane November 2009
    *EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane March 10 and 12 2011
    *Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 19 Jan 2014
    *EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane, 22,23 & 25 Feb 2014
  • JK_Livin
    JK_Livin South Jersey Posts: 7,365
    Jesus, these Jojo highlights. The Freak ain't shit compared to him. What about that Lebron flop last night? Pretty sad.
    Alright, alright, alright!
    Tom O.
    "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
    -The Writer
  • The Juggler
    The Juggler Posts: 49,594
    JK_Livin said:

    Jesus, these Jojo highlights. The Freak ain't shit compared to him. What about that Lebron flop last night? Pretty sad.

    The one yesterday with the beautiful outlet passed from Dario sort of reminded me of old Barkley highlights where he rampaged down the court and finished with a monster dunk.

    www.myspace.com
  • The Juggler
    The Juggler Posts: 49,594
    edited January 2017
    Game vs Rockets got moved to ESPN

    Hmmmm....could the number one pick be making his debut?
    Post edited by The Juggler on
    www.myspace.com
  • JK_Livin
    JK_Livin South Jersey Posts: 7,365
    The Juggler said:

    Game vs Rockets got moved to ESPN

    Hmmmm....could the number one pick be making his debut?

    TTP
    Alright, alright, alright!
    Tom O.
    "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
    -The Writer
  • Cliffy6745
    Cliffy6745 Posts: 34,026
    The Juggler said:

    Game vs Rockets got moved to ESPN

    Hmmmm....could the number one pick be making his debut?

    Is he even doing 5 on 5 yet?
  • eeriepadave
    eeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 43,181
    The Juggler said:

    Game vs Rockets got moved to ESPN

    Hmmmm....could the number one pick be making his debut?

    that would be sweet, day after my birthday. is it a home game?
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • No Coder
    No Coder Brisbane Posts: 1,126
    eeriepadave said:

    The Juggler said:

    Game vs Rockets got moved to ESPN

    Hmmmm....could the number one pick be making his debut?

    that would be sweet, day after my birthday. is it a home game?
    Brett Brown has come out today and said Simmons is no chance of playing on the 27th Jan.

    I'll ride the wave where it takes me

    *BEC, Brisbane, March 1995
    *BEC, Brisbane, March 1998
    *BEC, Brisbane, November 2006
    *QSAC, Brisbane November 2009
    *EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane March 10 and 12 2011
    *Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 19 Jan 2014
    *EV Solo, QPAC, Brisbane, 22,23 & 25 Feb 2014
  • cutz
    cutz Posts: 12,235
    No Coder said:

    eeriepadave said:

    The Juggler said:

    Game vs Rockets got moved to ESPN

    Hmmmm....could the number one pick be making his debut?

    that would be sweet, day after my birthday. is it a home game?
    Brett Brown has come out today and said Simmons is no chance of playing on the 27th Jan.


    http://www.thescore.com/news/1211811

    Report: 76ers' Simmons could make debut after All-Star break
    by John Chick 1h ago

    Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
    Ben Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, could make his season debut for the Philadelphia 76ers shortly after the All-Star break, sources told ESPN's Chris Haynes.

    Barring a setback, the report states Simmons should be on the floor around the beginning of March. The 20-year-old Australian broke his right foot in training camp, becoming the third Philadelphia first-round pick in four years to miss either all or a considerable part of his rookie campaign. Last week he participated in five-on-five drills for the first time.

    The news comes on the same day that Sixers coach Brett Brown dismissed a suggestion that Simmons would be in uniform for Philadelphia's Jan. 27 contest against the Houston Rockets.

    "There is no chance," Brown said, according to the Inquirer's Keith Pompey. "I am a social hermit. I have no idea what you are talking about. But I do know there is no chance that he will play then."

    That rumor appeared to be rooted in news that ESPN was dropping the Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls game that night in favor of the Philadelphia-Houston matchup.

Categories