Ben Simmons’ Foot Injury Leaves Rookie of the Year Race Wide Open
Waking up when September ends won’t go too well for the Philadelphia 76ers this year, as news recently broke that Ben Simmons‘ has broken his foot
First overall pick Ben Simmons fractured the fifth metatarsal in his foot on the final day of the month, leaving the Sixers season, and the Rookie of The Year race, wide open.
For Lakers fans, that means even higher expectations for their own rookie, second overall pick Brandon Ingram. Ingram himself has already admitted that the award is on his mind, and if Simmons misses significant time, there’s a realistic chance of it being on his trophy shelf as well.
Unfortunately for Simmons, there’s a decent chance his injury will sideline him for a matter of months, not weeks. While foot fractures can heal in as little as two weeks, sources fear that his injury may be a “Jones fracture”, a more complicated fracture common in fifth metatarsal injuries.
Kevin Durant suffered a similar fracture when he missed all but 27 games in the 2015.
Typically recovery time on a Jones Fracture is lengthy... Jones fracture happens higher in the foot. Unclear if that is Simmons injury
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) September 30, 2016
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If Simmons misses more than a few weeks, top rookie honors could be Ingram’s to lose. He’s already highly regarded among his draft peers, who voted him second most likely to win the award (behind Minnesota Timbewolves rookie Kris Dunn), and projected him to have the best career of any 2016 pick.
If the rookies are right, the versatile Lakers’ rookie will battle with Dunn, who was drafted fifth overall. But, while the rookie race will be a top attraction, there’s a bigger takeaway from from this unfortunate Simmons news.
Just two days prior to rolling his ankle in practice (and subsequently fracturing his foot), the rookie told reporters he had gained 33 pounds of muscle since he left LSU in March. Leading up to the draft, one recurring criticism of his NBA-readiness was his undersized frame.
More than anything, Ingram and the Lakers should take these series of events as a warning, a cautionary tale of how not to bite off more than you can chew before playing a single NBA minute. And while this may be nothing more than an eerie coincidence, the risk is too high for Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers’ coaching staff to ignore the possibility.
Ben Simmons puts on 33 lbs, now a broken foot. Related? For sure. Athletes can't add that much weight that quickly w/out impacting movement.
— Tim S. Grover (@ATTACKATHLETICS) September 30, 2016
In any case, the bar continues to rise for the 19-year-old Duke product. Luckily, he’s surrounded by a bevy of other determined young talent and should be given plenty of opportunities to succeed as the season progresses.
Next: Lakers Youth Shining Through At Training Camp
But for now, we’ve still got our eyes on the calendar. October 25th can’t come soon enough.