Ben Simmons did not play in the Philadelphia 76ers’ season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, as he was suspended for one game by the team after he was thrown out of practice by Doc Rivers earlier this week. The star point guard will likely be eligible to play on Friday night, but that doesn’t mean he will.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Simmons skipped an individual workout on Thursday. All signs point to him not playing in Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Simmons has yet to fully engage in a team practice, so it remains unlikely that he would make his season-debut vs. the Nets on Friday. https://t.co/aJgQKegjc4
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 21, 2021
Simmons is trying everything he can to force his way out of Philly. We wouldn’t put it past him to do something else to get himself “suspended” so he never has to play another game for the 76ers.
It seems clear that Simmons only ended his holdout so he can create embarrassing headlines and become a distraction to the Sixers. That is likely his strategy for getting the team to move on from him as quickly as possible. Although, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey doesn’t seem to be backing down from his high asking price.
The Sixers cruised to an easy 117-97 win over the Pelicans without Simmons on Wednesday. Given the latest comments Joel Embiid made about his teammate, it is probably best for everyone if Simmons remains sidelined.
Photo: Jan 30, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) talks to fans before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
