PHILADELPHIA — Former Sixers guard Ben Simmons, who hasn’t played an NBA game since Philly lost a second-round Game 7 to the Atlanta Hawks back in June of last year, is set to return to the Wells Fargo Center Thursday when the Brooklyn Nets come to town.
And although Simmons is still not in basketball condition after suffering a setback in his recovery from a back injury, Nets coach Steve Nash confirmed Tuesday that the 25-year-old three-time All-Star will be in the building and sitting on the Nets bench in clear view of Sixers fans. Yes, the same Sixers fans who at one time were divided over the former No. 1 overall pick but have since come to more of a consensus following a months-long holdout and trade demand that erased any goodwill Simmons had left in this city.
Bringing Simmons back to his old stomping grounds — even though he isn’t playing — was a conscious decision, according to Nash, especially with the possibility of these two teams meeting again in the postseason. And Nash knows what to expect from the Philly faithful.
Simmons was traded to the Nets, along with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and a pair of first-round picks, at the NBA trade deadline in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap, who have gone 5-1 in their six games together since joining the team — with the only loss coming on the road in Miami on the second night of a back-to-back and without Harden. The Sixers are 8-2 overall since the trade. The Nets, meanwhile, are 3-8.
His appearance on the bench in Philly likely won’t be the only time the Sixers hear from Simmons this week, as Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com reported on Tuesday that Simmons and his representation at Klutch Sports are expected to formally file a grievance this week over the fines levied against him as he remained away from the team for nearly the entire season. Simmons’ camp has maintained that the absence and subsequent trade request were because of their client’s mental health and that he should not be subject to fines, which have reportedly reached into the tens of millions of dollars.
This was a step that has long been expected, but it certainly seems that this week is shaping up to be just the first round of Simmons vs. the Sixers.
