Sixers rookie Ben Simmons' foot scan shows no setbacks
Ben Simmons' regularly scheduled foot scan Monday at the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York showed he has healed and everything is fine, according to the 76ers.
The first overall pick in June's NBA draft could make his Sixers debut in late February or early March. However, the team will say only that it isn't rushing him back.
"We are very cautious," coach Brett Brown said. "It's meticulous. It's very well planned out so when he does come out [we will] not just hit [him] with a bunch of new things. … It's not like we are going to be cramming a week before they tell us he's ready."
Simmons suffered a Jones fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot on Sept. 30, the final day of training camp. He had surgery in October. The 6-foot-10 point guard has been doing some work with the team and returning to the team's practice facility at night to work on his shooting.
Brown said he watched Simmons shoot and play one-on-one against Delaware 87ers power forward James Webb on Sunday.
"It's just nice and slow," Brown said of the competition. "It's not dramatic. It's not anything that people should read into. Here he is. … It's just slowly building him up very cautiously so we can welcome him back legitimately to the court."
Brown said the Sixers don't have a time frame for when Simmons will participate in all-out, five-on-five scrimmages at practice.
The Sixers hoped he would have an immediate impact this season. Although his outside shooting was criticized in college, Simmons averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.0 steals as a freshman last season at LSU.
Simmons is the first No. 1 overall pick taken by the Sixers since 1996, when they drafted Allen Iverson out of Georgetown. They also selected Doug Collins first overall in 1973.
The 20-year-old is also the third player born in Melbourne, Australia, to be taken first overall in the last 12 years, joining Kyrie Irving (2011) and Andrew Bogut (2005).
Cameroonian pride
Los Angeles Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute was one of Joel Embiid's Sixers teammates during the 2014-15 season. He was Embiid's mentor way before that.
The 7-2 Embiid was selected third overall in the NBA draft in 2014 after his freshman season at Kansas. His journey to become a lottery pick may never have happened without Mbah a Moute's help.
He discovered Embiid in 2011 at a basketball camp in Cameroon, their homeland. Mbah a Moute has advised the 22-year-old ever since.
Embiid is the runaway favorite for rookie of the year after being sidelined the last two seasons following right foot surgeries.
"He's had a great season," Mbah a Moute said before Tuesday's game. "I'm very happy for him to be back on the court after being frustrated for two years. So I'm excited to see him play and play well."