Philadelphia 76ers: 3 players that need to step up with Ben Simmons out
By Dalton Sell
With Ben Simmons out of the lineup indefinitely for the Philadelphia 76ers, three players on their roster need to step up significantly.
Heading into the NBA’s restart, the 6-seeded Philadelphia 76ers appeared to be a dark horse contender with both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons healthy. This team battled through their share of adversity this season, including injuries, their vile road record, and the regrettable Al Horford signing.
The hiatus came at a perfect time for Philadelphia, who was previously spiraling out of control back in March with Simmons and Embiid battling injury. The 76ers looked promising in their first three games of the restart, currently standing at 2-1.
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However, the team suffered a significant blow in their 107-98 win over the Washington Wizards Wednesday night as Simmons limped off the court in the third quarter.
Simmons immediately underwent an MRI, where his injury got diagnosed as a subluxation of the left patella (knee cap), according to Serena Winters of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Winters also reported that both Simmons and the 76ers are weighing in on treatment options, which could be a lethal hit to Philadelphia’s chances of contending.
The absence of Simmons does not entirely eliminate Philadelphia’s restart hopes, as they still have their superstar center Joel Embiid in the lineup. Still, he cannot carry the team by himself, and with their All-Star guard/forward out for potentially an extended period of time, they need other players to step up.
If not, this once-promising team could find themselves home early than anticipated after they were the Eastern Conference favorites before the season. Without further ado, here are three players that the Philadelphia 76ers need to rise to the occasion with Ben Simmons sidelined.