Anfernee Simons is Cleared for Tuesday, Which Means It's Time to Check the Sixers' Injury Bingo Card
Underdog NBA reported that Simons is listed as available to play Tuesday.
is officially available to play Tuesday against the New York Knicks, meaning the Philadelphia 76ers are actually getting a guard back on the floor instead of adding another one to the medical tent.
Missing the entire preseason with a left hamstring issue is a classic move for a guy who has spent more time in the trainer's room recently than on the hardwood. Simons missed the final 25 games of last season with a wrist injury while with the Chicago , capping off a career log that includes 15 different injuries and 147 days missed.
When he actually laces them up, Simons is a legitimate bucket. He brings a reliable 14.3 points per game and 44 percent shooting to a Sixers rotation that desperately needs perimeter juice. But trusting his health is like trusting a gas station phone charger. It might work perfectly, or it might short out the second you plug it in.
For the fantasy managers who stashed him and the bettors eyeing his Tuesday night props, this is the moment of truth. The books will likely be cautious with his lines against a gritty Knicks defense, and you should probably expect a minutes restriction while his hamstring remembers how to play NBA basketball.
The Sixers need Simons to be the dynamic scorer they acquired, not a permanent resident of the injury report. Tuesday night is his first chance to prove the hamstring is actually healed, assuming he makes it through the pregame layup line in one piece.