The 76ers’ new look bench may already hinge on one glaring question: how often will Anfernee Simons actually be available?
Philadelphia’s move to land Simons has been praised as one of the sharpest deals of the offseason, mostly because the front office added a proven scorer without paying a heavy price. On paper, he looks like exactly the kind of jolt the team needed after years of searching for more punch off the bench. But there’s a catch that deserves more attention: Simons has a lengthy history of missing time.
That issue has already surfaced this preseason. Simons has barely played after hurting his right hamstring in the 76ers’ first game against the Knicks. He has not returned yet, though he is reportedly getting close to being ready for the final preseason game before the regular season starts.
The concern isn’t just about one nagging setback. Since the 2021-22 season, Simons has missed 120 regular-season games, which works out to 24 per year.
Last season alone, he sat out 27 games with a left wrist fracture. If that sort of availability follows him to Philadelphia, the 76ers could be looking at roughly 58 games from him this season.
That’s a tough number to swallow for a player expected to carry real weight for the second unit.
This is where the role becomes so important. Simons is set to serve as Philadelphia’s sixth man, and his job description is pretty clear: provide scoring, create some offense as a secondary playmaker, and step into the starting lineup when Tyrese Maxey or VJ Edgecombe are out.
He’s not just a luxury piece. He’s supposed to keep the bench from stalling.
If he’s not there, the margin for error gets thin fast. Philadelphia’s reserve group is better equipped than it has been in the past, but Simons is the biggest source of dependable scoring in that unit. Without him, the team would need to lean on a rookie like Labaron Philon Jr. and other supporting pieces who aren’t built to carry the offense in that way.
So while there’s no immediate alarm over Simons’ status, the risk is hard to ignore. His injury history is real, and the 76ers would be wise to prepare for stretches without him. Given everything that’s already happened, that feels less like a possibility and more like something they should expect.
In Other News...
Sixers Still Have One Preseason Question Before Celtics Tuneup
The final preseason stop comes Friday night in South Philadelphia, where the 76ers will get one more look at themselves against the Celtics before the games start to count. Nick Nurse has said he plans to run out his first-choice starting lineup, a useful chance to sharpen the rotation and see how the group responds against a familiar East opponent after what has been a relatively healthy training camp.
Two players will sit this one out, with Anfernee Simons and Adem Bona ruled out because of injuries even though both have been taking part in practice. For a team trying to build rhythm and settle its opening-night look, the bigger issue now is less about who is unavailable and more about whether this group can leave the preseason with the right feel heading into the regular-season opener. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Suddenly Have A Center Chance They May Need To Act On
The 76ers center depth took another hit with Ariel Hukportis injury, and that has put some urgency on a familiar front office question: how to patch the back end of the roster without overcommitting. Torontos decision to waive two-way center Trey Jemison III has created one possible answer, since he is now available to any team looking for a bigger body and a little NBA mileage.
Philadelphia is weighing whether to claim Jemison or use its last two-way slot on him, a move that would at least give the team another option in the middle as it tries to survive the early stretch. Jemison has bounced around the league and has size and experience, but the appeal comes with the usual caveat for a player in his position: the 76ers would be betting on depth first, with his consistency and longer-term upside still very much open to question. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About VJ Edgecombes Priorities
VJ Edgecombes priorities have already drawn attention before his first season has fully settled into the bigger picture around the 76ers. The young guard said representing the Bahamas at the Olympics would mean more to him than winning an NBA championship, pointing to the chance to help his country reach a stage it has never reached in Olympic mens basketball. For a player just beginning his pro journey, it was a candid answer that spoke as much to identity and heritage as it did to basketball ambition.
Jason Williams, though, was not having it, arguing that players in the league should place the organization paying their salary above anything else. It is the kind of comment that tends to hit a nerve with Philadelphia fans, who expect total commitment and are already learning what makes Edgecombe tick. The tension here is less about whether he cares about winning than about where he sees his greatest responsibility, and that debate figures to follow him as his profile grows. [Read more 🡒]