Simmons’ injury could impact Brown’s plans

In the midst of playing their most complete game since the NBA hiatus, the

76ers Wednesday may have sustained a significant loss.

Ben Simmons, whose development as a starting power forward is near the top of Brett Brown’s rushed list of chores to complete before the postseason, left a

107-98 victory over the Washington Wizards in the third quarter with a left-knee injury. He did not return.

“We don’t know,” Brett Brown said, of the potential severity of the injury. “I don’t know any more than that. I really don’t. I’m obviously very curious to hear what that means.”

An ESPN report from inside the Bubble was that preliminary signals were encouraging, indicating there was no alarming swelling. TV cameras did capture Simmons walking around later without crutches. The same cameras, however, also caught Elton Brand heading into the locker room to visit Simmons, not necessarily an encouraging sign.

Simmons played 22:55 and shot just 2-for-10 for eight points, thus continuing what for him has been a lackluster return after recovering from a back injury. He did, though, attempt a first-quarter threepoint shot from the left corner, a rarity.

The Sixers did not immediately offer additional information on the injury Wednesday night.

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Brown has accelerated his customary plan to down-size his rotation to nine players in time for the postseason.

Aware that his 10-man rotation was malfunctioning during the first two games of the NBA re-start, the 76ers’ coach announced that it would be trimmed by 10 percent beginning with the Wizards game.

“It has been difficult to find real minutes for 10 players,” Brown said. “There’s just so much that can go around.”

The Sixers were 1-1 in their first two second-season games, and were unsightly at times in each. Brown played 10 players at least 12 minutes apiece in a 127-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers. The same 10 players logged at least 10 minutes each in the follow-up, a 132-130 triumph over San Antonio.

Against the sagging Wizards, Brown supplemented his starting five with Al Horford, Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle and Alec Burks.

“Ultimately, when you get to the playoffs, it’s certainly going to be nine,” Brown said. “At some point, you want to try to go into this thing with a rhythm. And there’s still some things that are unanswered.”

Among those open questions are the roles of Glenn Robinson III and Mike Scott, neither of whom have played in the three games in Orlando. Robinson, who was said to have had a strong minicamp and who was acquired near the trade deadline to add postseason scoring oomph, has been struggling through a hip pointer. Scott, who had several meaningful moments in the Sixers’ two-round 2019 postseason, has been unavailable with a knee injury.

With Simmons moving almost exclusively to the frontcourt, the role of backup to starting point guard Shake Milton must be answered. By Wednesday, Burks had nosed in front of Neto.

“There are still things,” Brown said, “to be learned.”

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The Sixers allowed an average of 129.5 points in the first two re-start games.

Among the reasons was the opponents’ successful midrange, two-point shooting.

While that caught Brown’s attention, he insisted it would not inspire him to push Joel Embiid out a bit from his inside defensive position.

“No,” he said. “With Indiana and San Antonio, that is their mojo. That’s what they like to do. But I think to bring Joel from out of where he is dominant, I think the ripple effects would be more punishing. We will just try to do what we do and do it better.”

Sticking to his instincts Wednesday, Brown was rewarded with the Sixers’ best defensive effort since the restart.

“Defensively, it hasn’t gone the way I’d hoped,” Brown said. “We’re still figuring some things out. But I can see where it can end.”

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NOTES » After using 20 different starting lineups through the first 65 games, the Sixers have had stability with their 21st, with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson and Milton making their third consecutive start together Wednesday … The readiness of Simmons’ knee will determine if that continues Friday, when the Sixers will play Orlando at 6:30 … His virus test passed, Kyle O’Quinn was available, though he did not play.