Last night, it was supposed to be the first matchup between LeBron James and Ben Simmons. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until March 31 when Philly travels to northeast Ohio.
On the last day of training camp, Simmons suffered a Jones fracture in his foot, which has him sidelined until January. Sure, it’s going to be another long season for the Sixers, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
In limited action, Joel Embiid is offering hope for the future. The former third overall pick of the 2014 draft is averaging 18.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3 blocks per game in only 22 minutes per night.
So, you can only imagine the excitement when Simmons returns. His mentor, LeBron, sure has high expectations, to say the least.
“He has a great family,” James said Saturday morning at Cleveland’s shootaround before the Cavs play the Sixers(see game notes). “The kid grew up well-rounded and that’s part of the reason he became the No. 1 pick other than his ability to play the game. He’s a great young talent, but he’s a much better person than he is basketball player. Philly should be excited to have him.”
LeBron shared what quality he likes about Simmons the most.
“His ability to see the floor [stands out the most],” James said. “He pushes with a lot of aggression, but he’s always got his head up and he’s always looking for teammates and things of that nature. That’s definitely a great quality.”
Over the summer, Simmons worked out with the likes of LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Richard Jefferson in an attempt to improve.
“We all went through the workouts and he went better as the days went on,” James said. “That lets you know that he’s there to work and wants to get better and he wants to train with some of the guys he feels like he wants to work out to get better. It’s great to have him in the gym. It’s great to just be around him. He’s a great kid. Things will work out good for him.”
For years now, we’ve been saying the future is bright in Philly, but finally, those words feel relevant.