LeBron’s advice for Simmons as Sixers look forward

LEBRON James reacts to Ben Simmons’ disastrous injury as one scribe argues there’s a silver lining for the young Australian.

Simmons will be limited to the practice court for several months.

THE Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be without Ben Simmons for three months after the No. 1 overall draft pick suffered a fracture in his right foot last week during practice.

Simmons is scheduled to undergo surgery this week, and might not see the floor in 2016.

Simmons was the favourite to win the Rookie of the Year award this season, and though foot injuries can be especially scary for big men, there are plenty of recent examples of players recovering from the same or similar injuries that suggest Simmons could still be an important player for the Sixers in his rookie year.

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who shares an agent with Simmons, told reporters he was disappointed to hear Simmons was hurt, but warned him to take his recovery as patiently as possible.

“What was my reaction? Probably the same as everybody else including Philly. It’s like, ‘Damn’,” James told ESPN.com. “That’s the first thing that came to my mind and knowing that’s a very delicate injury ... He’ll be fine. He’s a young guy. He’s got to make sure he’s patient and not get frustrated with the process because obviously I know I would want to get on the floor. But he has a long career in front of him and he just has to be patient, let the foot heal and when he gets back on the floor then he’ll show why he’s the No. 1 pick.”

James has never been forced to miss a major amount of time due to injury over the course of his career. In January, 2015, James took off a couple of weeks to nurse nagging back and knee problems, but returned to lead the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals.

LeBron James (second from left) and Ben Simmons (centre) work out during the off-season with other NBA stars.

It comes as Sports Illustrated NBA writer Andrew Sharp argued Simmons’ injury wasn’t necessarily all bad news for the young Aussie — or Philadelphia.

“As bad as it looks, and as cursed as Philly may feel, this particular injury isn’t necessarily a disaster. This can work. The more I thought about it over the weekend, the more silver linings I saw for Simmons and the Sixers,” Sharp wrote.

“Post-Sam Hinkie, post-Process, the roster makes no sense. There’s a glut of big men with varying red flags, almost no shooting, and no point guards. It would be a tough situation for any newcomer to enter, let alone a 20 year-old who’s about to be graded on a ‘franchise saviour’ curve ...

“With Simmons injured, there’s less pressure to make real progress this year, and there’s no risk of screwing with his development by asking him to anchor this disjointed mess. Even when Simmons returns, it’ll be with tempered expectations coming off an injury, not the saviour hype that had followed him throughout the draft.”