Following their West Coast swing, the Philadelphia 76ers return East to finish out their road trip. Next up on the schedule is a meeting against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays center.
Whenever the Sixers face off against the Nets, the biggest storyline is Ben Simmons. The former No. 1 pick started his career in Philly before eventually being dealt to Brooklyn at the 2022 trade deadline for James Harden.
Since being traded, Simmons has faced off agianst his former team on numerous occasions. However, that will not be the case on Saturday. Despite not originally being on the inury report, the Nets ruled him out just before tip-off due to calf soreness.
No Ben Simmons tonight for the Nets. He is out with left calf soreness.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) January 4, 2025
Simmons has yet to return to form following the move to the Nets. He has gotten a bigger role as of late due to their recent trades, but will be on the sidelines against the Sixers. On the season, Simmons is averaging 5.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 6.9 APG.
The former All-Star is among multiple Nets players who won’t be suiting up on Saturday, most notably Cam Johnson and Cam Thomas. Due to them being shorthanded, the main player the Sixers will have to zero in on is newly acquired D’Angelo Russell.
Following a shaky back-to-back against the Warriors and Kings, the Sixers find themselves in a good position to get back in the win column. Along with being out a handful of their top performers, Brooklyn sits at 13-21 on the year and is 3-7 over their last ten games.
Joel Embiid and company cannot let an opportunity to secure a win slip by against this struggling Nets team. Tip-off is slated for 6:00 pm Eastern Time.
In a surprising turn of events, Ben Simmons has been ruled out for the upcoming matchup against his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers. The star point guard has been dealing with a nagging injury that will keep him sidelined for this highly anticipated game.
Simmons, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the 76ers before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, was looking forward to facing off against his former teammates in what would have been a highly emotional game. However, it seems that fans will have to wait a little longer to see Simmons go head-to-head against the team that drafted him first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Despite Simmons’ absence, both teams are sure to put on a show for fans as they battle it out on the court. The 76ers will be looking to prove that they made the right decision in trading Simmons, while the Nets will be eager to show that they are a force to be reckoned with even without their star point guard.
It’s always disappointing when a key player is unable to play in a marquee matchup, but injuries are a part of the game. Hopefully, Simmons will make a speedy recovery and be back on the court soon. In the meantime, fans can still expect a competitive and exciting game between these two talented teams.
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