The Sixers have started the season 3-2 and have multiple small problems that could be fixed if the 3-time all-star returns to the team. Simmons has reported to the team and it seems more likely that he will return to the court at some point. But if Simmons does come back on the court, the big question is how will it affect this team?

 

Where does Maxey go?

 

Tyrese Maxey so far has done a solid job as the starting point guard of the Sixers. For a 20 year old, it's a huge responsibility to have the starting spot of a contending team. Having Simmons back will remove a lot of the responsibility of him being the starting guard of the team. This will allow Maxey to have a lot more freedom while he's running with the bench units. 

 

The Sixers will improve.

 

If Ben Simmons returns, the Sixers will be a better team than they are now. Simmons deserves criticism for his game, but no matter where Simmons plays he will be an all-star. Adding his defensive presence on this team will help as Danny Green has currently been our primary perimeter defender. A good thing about this is maybe just maybe Simmons will come out shooting. Even if he shoots at a low percentage from the mid-range or three, it will heavily improve his fit next to Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond.

 

Can the Sixers actually make it past the 2nd round with Simmons?

 

The NBA season is 82 games long and the Sixers are not even 10% of the way in yet. But it does seem that this year's Sixers squad is better than last year. With the additions of Niang and Drummond, it seems like the Sixers have upgraded their roster. If Simmons comes back the Sixers do have a much better chance to get past the second round than this current roster. Though it does heavily depend on what Ben Simmons looks like when he is back on the court.

 

The Simmons situation is a waiting game and it seems the Sixers front office is determined not to fail with this situation. There are a lot of unknowns within the Simmons and Sixers camps, but hopefully, they can figure things out. But with Simmons at the practice facility with Sixers staff, there is now a bigger possibility of him returning in a Sixers jersey.  As for the fans, as Daryl Morey said, "Buckle In".