Ben Simmons will need surgery and the theory that his recent weight gain caused his injury appears to be false.
According to a league source, the rookie will undergo surgery next week for a fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot, which was first reported by ESPN's Marc Stein. There is no specific date set for the surgery, according to the source.
The Sixers believe Simmons suffered an "acute injury" not related to his adding over 30 pounds of muscle. He rolled his ankle after landing on the foot of Shawn Long, Stein reported, during the last scrimmage of training camp.
Per Stein, Simmons’ advisors have consulted with Cleveland Clinic foot specialist Brian Donley in addition to the Sixers’ physicians.
Simmons played at LSU at 217 pounds and was up to 238 before the draft. On media day, he said he was up to 250. A focus quickly shifted to Simmons’ weight, but Simmons reportedly actually was six pounds lighter at 244 pounds to start camp.
The news of surgery is a little disappointing. As a guest on SportsNet Central, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Schwartz, who is not treating Simmons, gave some insight into what a fracture to the fifth metatarsal could mean. Surgery could mean a lengthy recovery, according to Schwartz. If it is the dreaded Jones fracture, it'll be tough to know Simmons' timetable.
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"The prognosis is still good, but we know that Kevin Durant had a Jones fracture and he was out for an entire season because of it not healing," Schwartz said. "But the prognosis is good, however, the question is whether it's going to require surgery or not."
Schwartz said that surgery would involve inserting a screw to repair the fracture.
With how the Sixers have handled their prospects in the past and the way they've been cautious with the likes of second-year player Jahlil Okafor, they'll likely be conservative when assessing Simmons' possible return.
