Philadelphia 76ers fans were fearing the worst when All-Star Ben Simmons suffered a non-contact knee injury on Wednesday during a game against the Washington Wizards. Early reports were that Simmons’ knee was not swelling after he left the game – a good sign – and the injury was eventually deemed to be a subluxation of the left knee cap. Sixers coach Brett Brown gave no timeline for Simmons’ recovery and potential return – but the team may now be preparing to finish the season without him.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Saturday that Simmons will undergo knee surgery to remove a loose body. A loose body in the knee is a small fragment of cartilage or bone.
Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons will undergo surgery on his left knee, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 8, 2020
After consultation with the 76ers‘ medical staff and several specialists, Ben Simmons is leaving the NBA campus to remove a loose body in his left knee. https://t.co/xzxST5tTe6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 8, 2020
That sounds awful, frankly, and it’s never a good thing to see your franchise player go under the knife. There is a small silver lining for Sixers fans, though, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Sixers have not ruled Simmons out for the rest of the year, which means he could potentially return late in the playoffs.
While the Sixers haven't ruled Simmons out for the season, sources say it would take a deep run into the playoffs to keep the door open on the possibility of a return — and that's still an iffy proposition. For now, the Sixers need to prepare for a postseason without Simmons.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 8, 2020
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