Sixers mailbag: Evaluating the return of Ben Simmons, Zhaire Smith’s injury and a fifth starter

Simmons should be fine to go full-go in the Sixers' NBA restart opener against the Indiana Pacers on Aug. 1.

All-star point guard Ben Simmons will provide an immediate impact for the Sixers.Read more / File Photograph

Published Jul. 3, 2020, 12:36 p.m. ET

This is the 19th edition of the weekly 76ers mailbag.

Each week, Inquirer.com followers may submit questions to be answered on Friday.

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Question: Would you limit Ben Simmons in the initial games and slowly ramp him up or would you roll the dice and have him go full-go? —@coachchrislu

Thanks for asking a question, Chris. This is a tough one for me, because the Sixers open up against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA restart at Walt Disney World on Aug. 1. That’s going to be a huge game for seeding purposes, so I would have him go full-go.

I would ease him in if the Sixers were playing Little Sisters of the Poor or Scrubs Are Us since he’s a few months removed from a pinched nerve in his lower back. The good thing about the restart setup is that the Sixers will arrive in Orlando on July 9 and have a training camp until July 29. During that time, they will play in three scrimmages. So the Sixers can slowly ramp him up in training camp and the scrimmages. As a result, I think he’ll be fine to go full-go against the Pacers.

Q: Was Zhaire Smith going to be involved in the playoff rotation or is his injury irrelevant? — @herold_devon

Thanks for the question, Devon. I don’t want to call any injury irrelevant, but I do get your point. For those of you who don’t know, Smith will not join the Sixers for the NBA restart in Orlando due to a bone bruise in his left knee. At best, the second-year veteran would have been a practice player had he accompanied the team to Florida.

He’s doesn’t appear to be in the Sixers’ immediate or future plans.

This season, Smith has averaged 1.1 points in seven appearances. The Sixers unsuccessfully tried to shop him at the trade deadline.

Q: Assuming Horford is out of the starting lineup, who is the 5th starter? — @board_manpaid

A: What’s up? Thanks for the question. You have to go with Shake Milton as the fifth starter. Have to.

Ben Simmons will be listed as the point guard, but could actually be a point forward while Milton plays point guard.

Milton averaged 14.1 points and shot 50% from three-point land in his 16 starts this season. He is averaging 19.4 points and shooting 51.9% on three-pointers in his last five games - all starts. That stretch was highlighted by career-high 39 points in a six-point road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers back on March 1.

So he has to be the fifth starter.