1: 58 PM ET
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Connected Press
CAMDEN, N.J. — Doc Rivers tried to play Ben Simmons‘ return to the Philadelphia 76ers frigid, unbiased appropriate introducing the petulant point guard to the crew at apply with a shaggy dog account love the coach would employ for every other NBA player support from a drawn-out absence.
“That’s how it’s far,” Rivers stated.
Only direct turned into as soon as, this turned into as soon as no extraordinary return from an wound or every other ho-hum excuse.
Simmons practiced Sunday and confronted his teammates for the major time since his replace search recordsdata from — in other phrases, he begrudgingly slipped on a Sixers jersey with a crew he now not wished to play for, teammates he now not wished to play with.
Awkward grand?
“No,” ahead Tobias Harris stated facetiously. “It turned into as soon as perfectly fine.”
Harris clammed up and declined to verbalize what he stated to Simmons up his return (“I’m now not telling you that reply”), and Rivers turned into as soon as gentle on specifics on the All-Considerable person guard’s first day support.
Of present, no decision has been made on Simmons’ place for Wednesday’s season opener at Recent Orleans.
“When he’s willing, he’ll play,” Rivers stated.
The grand check might perhaps possibly perhaps also reach at the 76ers’ dwelling opener Friday in opposition to Brooklyn in front of 20,000 feisty fans amped to boo him out of the constructing. Hall of Famer Allen Iverson tweeted at Simmons, “Follow Gods conception and enact Lil bro @BenSimmons… #PhillyUnite #BestFansInTheWorld.”
Only fans on this planet?
Most whimsical, likely, after fans bear started taping out the “MMON” in their No. 21 jerseys and replaced the letters with “XER.”
Simmons turned into as soon as a holdout for practising camp and the early section of the preseason within the wake of his offseason replace search recordsdata from. The three-time All-Considerable person guard made a shock return to the crew on Monday. As soon as he cleared the NBA well being and security protocols, Simmons turned into as soon as eligible to employ.
Clearing the air is yet every other direct.
“He unbiased appropriate confirmed up, you know? It turned into as soon as now not like it turned into as soon as something particular,” 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz stated. “It turned into as soon as, ‘Whats up, how are you? What’s up?'”
Loads.
Simmons, the No. 1 decide of the 2016 draft, turned into as soon as now not on the court when apply turned into as soon as open to the media on Sunday, and the Sixers stated the guard turned into as soon as anticipated to talk one day this week.
Simmons has plenty to reply to, akin to, does he level-headed desire a replace, and is he willing to play for Philly this season? Used to be it pointed criticism from Rivers and Joel Embiid, who didn’t affirm Sunday, after a Sport 7 loss that made him desire out? Simmons has now not talked publicly for the reason that offseason replace search recordsdata from, and the reserved guard might perhaps possibly perhaps also dance spherical these topics when he does communicate.
Rivers stated he’ll “wait and gaze” if Simmons plays in Recent Orleans. Simmons averaged 15.9 substances, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists over four seasons with the Sixers.
“Correct looking at him, I idea he turned into as soon as in first fee form,” Rivers stated. “Aloof now not, obviously, game form.”
The 25-year-archaic from Australia had four years and $147 million left on his max contract when he decided he wished a replace. With the Sixers unable to strike the true deal, and monetary losses in wage and losses piling, Simmons turned into as soon as left with exiguous desire however to listing.
“The vibe turned into as soon as what it turned into as soon as,” Harris stated. “Used to be it perfect? No. However we’re here to enact a job, and that’s the reason to elevate basketball games. We put on our colossal boy pants and web on the ground and enact what we enact.”
Harris stated Simmons “seemed colossal” within the drills he participated in Sunday and the Sixers will let bygones be bygones if that’s what it takes to elevate a championship.
“We’re grown men here,” he stated. “Here is now not middle college, seventh grade, eighth grade, ‘Oh, you did this to me.’ No. Or now not it’s, as quickly as we step on that ground, it’s unbiased appropriate basketball. Truthfully, that’s the manner it needs to be.”
