Eight Sixers were dropped for the team’s game on Monday against the Hawks, including Ben Simmons.
Simmons did not travel with the team to Atlanta and will receive knee treatment for The Athletic’s Shams Charania. He will be evaluated day by day, reports Charania.
Joel Embiid (back tightness) has been updated to likely. Mike Scott is also likely. He was technically active on Saturday, but coach Doc Rivers said he did not think Scott was in a position to play, as the 32-year-old lost his previous four games to a left knee injury.
As for Simmons, Rivers indicated that his left knee injury occurred Thursday in Brooklyn.
“It has nothing to do with the fact that they are simply not playing,” said Rivers. “Ben at the Brooklyn game had some knee stiffness. So we almost probably knew after the game that he wouldn’t be playing tonight. And then Joel started to complain about his back – it started yesterday. And we didn’t know if he was playing or not, but honestly, with the minutes we would have to ask (from him), it would be crazy to play with him tonight.
In August, Simmons had surgery to remove a loose body from his left knee, missing the rest of the 2019-20 season. He said during the training camp that his health was “100 percent” and that he felt stronger and more explosive. In the first nine games of the Sixers, he averaged 13.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks.
Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle and Vincent Poirier are out because of NBA health and safety protocols. The Sixers found that Curry tested positive for COVID-19 during Thursday’s game against the Nets. It is currently unclear how long the other four players will be away.
“They were, I think, at a table (with Curry),” said Rivers. “It wasn’t like, close contact, so maybe it will shorten your days (out). I don’t know that; I don’t know anything about any of that.”
In addition, Furkan Korkmaz and Terrance Ferguson are still out because of a left adductor strain and personal reasons, respectively.
After Monday’s game in Atlanta, a mini-series at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday and Thursday against Heat is next on the Sixers 7-3 schedule. NBA teams must have at least eight active players to play.
Notably, Heat is among the other teams that deal with the impact of COVID-19. The Miami game scheduled for Sunday against Boston was postponed because the Heat did not reach the minimum of eight players due to the continuous tracking of contact with the team, the NBA announced. It remains to be seen how the Heat situation can affect the Sixers.
Embiid does not seem satisfied with the way the league is handling things.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the NBA has no plans to interrupt the season, despite the recent increase in COVID-19-related absences.