The Philadelphia 76ers recently sent second-year guard Zhaire Smith to their G League affiliate Delaware Blue Coats to take part in its training camp and to get consistent minutes with the team as he struggled to crack the big club’s rotation. Now, it looks like that plan has had a bit of a hiccup.
Per Keith Pompey of the Inquirer, Smith will sit out Friday’s game against the Long Island Nets with what is being called “right knee soreness.” Pompey goes on to report that Smith with receive treatment on Friday before being re-evaluated on Saturday while stressing that the move is precautionary and that the organization doesn’t expect Smith to be out for long.
The Organization is saying this is precautionary. Smith not currently expected to miss much time. https://t.co/Uv89m0rMDf
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 15, 2019
While it’s encouraging that this doesn’t appear to be a serious issue, it’s less than ideal that Smith is missing time due to the fact that the sole reason he was sent to Delaware was so that he could get consistent playing time with hopes of a return to the Sixers at some point.
Adding to the concern is Smith’s injury history. His rookie season was derailed by a foot injury and subsequent allergic reaction that caused him to only be able to play in six NBA games last season.
Hopefully, the issue is as minor as the organization is saying and Smith will respond well to the treatment and be back on the court quickly. The Sixers still hope Smith can be a part of their long-term plans, and every game he’s able to play in Delaware is a step towards making that a reality. [lawrence-related id=18783,18777,18005,17997,17543,17494]