Philadelphia 76ers: 3 players that need to step up with Ben Simmons out

Mike Scott

Mike Scott has not played a game yet in the NBA restart, battling right knee soreness, but when he gives them the green light, they will need him drastically. With Ben Simmons out of the lineup after making the switch to power forward, and Scott still not cleared, the Philadelphia 76ers now only have one healthy body at the position, that being Al Horford.

Before his knee soreness, Scott was Philadelphia’s ironman, appearing in 63 out of 65 of their games before the stoppage in March. Although the forward was not the most eye-catching player, averaging a mere 5.7 points per game on the season, Scott can be an impactful player off the bench.

The forward can come into the game and make his presence known with a few tough shots, including a feasible 3-point stroke. He might not be the most consistent player on the roster, by any means, but with their power forward depth thinned, Scott is likely going to have the ball in his hands a lot more and needs to make the most of it.

It might seem strange to say that Mike Scott needs to step up although he is not playing, recent reports suggest that he could return any day. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer posted a video of Scott shooting around before the 76ers’ game against the Wizards, and he looked good.

"“It shouldn’t be long for @mikescott. The #Sixers reserve forward (white shirt) will miss his third game with right knee soreness today. But he looked good knocking down shots in pregame.”"

Hopefully, Scott comes back at full strength and can provide a boost for this Philadelphia team that desperately needs it.