Last year’s No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, Ben Simmons, still has yet to play in a regular-season game at the professional level.
There was a time when the team thought he’d be eligible to return for the final 4-6 weeks of the season, but the Sixers decided to play it safe, and have kept him focused on his recovery, rather than playing in meaningless games, with the team currently sporting a 27-46 record.
That was a smart decision by the front office and coaching staff, and it was good to see the Sixers actually do something right, for a change.
And then the most Sixers thing ever happened, showing that things really haven’t changed all that much at the organizational level.
A video surfaced on Sunday, and it shows Simmons throwing the ball off the backboard and then throwing down the hammer on an explosive dunk. It’s not something you usually see from a player who’s still recovering from a Jones fracture in his right foot.
NBA ALL-STAR slam dunk 2018? @BenSimmons25 😳 #Sixers pic.twitter.com/kTya30cB4Z
— Nicola (@SportsDirectTV) March 26, 2017
Fans will say it’s not a huge deal, but the team’s coaching staff needs to send the message that it’s not OK to be out there showing off just for the sake of having the clip go viral on social media. Simmons means too much to the future of the franchise to be out there risking it.
Would an organization like the Spurs allow an injured player to do that? We all know the answer, because there’s no way it would happen.
After the way the Sixers have mismanaged Joel Embiid’s injuries over the past few years, you’d think they’d have learned by now, and would play it safe. Apparently, though, that’s not the case.
About Matt Birch
Matt manages all editorial operations for The Sports Daily. His work has been featured on MSN, Fox Sports, Yardbarker, SB Nation and Bleacher Report. Matt has also written for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He enjoys eating good food, shooting hoops and making original, compelling stories go viral.
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