This was published 7 years ago
NBA: Philadelphia coach Brett Brown continues to work with Ben Simmons but no debut date
By Roy Ward
Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown says routine and video work have been the cornerstones of Ben Simmons' recovery as he continues to move towards returning to full fitness.
The Australian No. 1 pick has yet to make his full NBA debut after an acute right foot fracture, known as a "Jones fracture", which he has had surgery for and now is working on his return.
Broken foot: Ben SimmonsCredit: MATT SLOCUM
There remains hope he could return in January or February and play out the season but the Sixers could also opt to sit him out the whole season.
The club has listed no set return date and hasn't ruled out either option although this hasn't stopped Simmons' NBA apparel becoming popular around the home court at Wells Fargo Centre, with the "Simmons 25" singlets and T-shirts very visible on game night.
But until Simmons returns to fitness he has a set routine with Brown while the undermanned Sixers have fallen to 4-12 [win-loss].
The Sixers have previously dealt with serious injuries to star draft picks Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel in previous years and both missed their loss to the Bulls on Friday as Embiid was rested and Noel continues to recover from a left knee problem.
Embiid has played 11 of the Sixers' 16 games but has been rested from some games and is not certain to return for the team's clash with NBA champions Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night (US time).
Brown said the Sixers' past experience has helped them in setting out Simmons' recovery plan.
"Our Philadelphia friends would have heard this a lot – we have had a lot of practice dealing with injuries in my time here," Brown said.
"It's a very holistic plan. Every night before he comes into the new practice facility he receives an email or a text.
"It's a three-pronged approach – one deals with his health and what he has to do for prehab, rehab and what he has to do with a trainer or physiotherapist.
"Then we go out on court and break down his shot, that's something we have been working on since he got here.
"The third piece is he comes and sits with me in my office and it's like a class room.
"We will study people from different leaders to Earvin [Magic] Johnson to our point guards this year and how he sees each play.
"I feel like when he comes back into the mix, it's not going to be like he is that foreign to us or what we are trying to do."
Friday's 105-89 loss to the Chicago Bulls in Philadelphia highlighted how much the younger Sixers side lacks in muscle and physical maturity as the play-off-hardened visitors dominated the start then pulled away in the second half as Dwyane Wade (26 points) and Jimmy Butler (26 points) showed no one on the Sixers' could stop them.
Brown wouldn't be dissuaded by the loss, instead he wants his players exposed to the Bulls and other championship contenders.
"This is what I want our guys exposed to," Brown said. "You get a bloodied but it's real and it's what you aspire to one day.
"You see Cleveland again, we play the Eastern Conference finalist from last season [after that] – it's going to be real in the next few days."