Re-Visiting Ben Simmons' Latest Presser Before NBA Suspended the Season

Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons would've been re-evaluated on Wednesday, as his three-week mark was up. Obviously, that won't happen now, but where was Simmons at with his rehab at the time?

The tip-off was less than an hour away. The Philadelphia 76ers were gearing up for their first home matchup in over a week. For the entire four-game West Coast road trip beforehand, the Sixers played without their two All-Stars, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

Embiid was cleared for return, while Simmons was placed under another multi-week timeline before he would be re-evaluated again. Three weeks was the target point on March 11th. This past Wednesday would've been the time the Sixers updated us on Simmons' status with his back injury.

But that didn't happen, for obvious reasons. Hours after Simmons spoke publicly for the first time in weeks; the NBA suspended the season. Soon enough, it will be a month since basketball has been played. Overall, the situation is highly unfortunate for the NBA.

For Simmons, however, it could end up being a blessing in disguise. The All-Star guard was dealing with a lower-back impingement after going up for a rebound in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. After leaving the court early on in the first quarter, Simmons never made it back out again.

“I felt the pinch in my back during the game," Simmons described weeks later. "I tried to continue through it a little bit, but obviously knew something was bothering me too much, so I went back to the locker room." Simmons was ordered to participate in a rehab program for his back after receiving a diagnosis.

Although the Sixers refused to issue a timetable for Simmons' return, the franchise remained optimistic about the idea of having the third-year guard back in time for the playoffs, which would've been in a few weeks. 

"I can't give you dates or timelines [on a return]," Simmons said three weeks ago. "I'm doing well; rehab's been great. I'm progressing, staying in there and doing what I can to come back one-hundred percent. I'm not here to sit out and wait. When I'm healthy, I'll be playing." 

Unfortunately, for the time being, Simmons has no choice but to sit out and wait. The good news is that he's not alone in this situation, though. Assuming Simmons would be back in time for the scheduled playoffs initially in April, was somewhat of a longshot.

Knowing the suspension could drag out until June or July could really offer the Sixers an advantage as Simmons could very well be finished with his rehab in time. 

Three weeks ago, the Sixers point guard mentioned he was feeling "much better" compared to how he was feeling two weeks before his presser. Now that he's able to rest without rushing through his healing process, it seems there's a high chance he makes it to that one-hundred percent mark if/when the NBA season resumes.  

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_