Following his ejection from practice by head coach Doc Rivers, it seemed that there was finally some progress being made by the Philadelphia 76ers and NBA All-Star Ben Simmons. The sides met and cleared some of the air, and in that meeting, Simmons revealed he was not ready to return to the team.

In addition to some back ailments he was working through, Simmons said he was not mentally ready to return. It was a crazy offseason for Simmons, as he requested a trade from the 76ers and hoped to play for another team.

There were some things said by each side that cannot be taken back, so there are probably some hurdles that Simmons has to get over mentally before returning to the team. It was something that the 76ers accepted and they stopped fining him for missed practices and games as he sought the help he needed.

But, things seem to be souring once again. There is still no timetable for his return as he has not accepted any off-court help from the organization. With each passing day, frustrations are beginning to mount for the 76ers.

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The team hasn’t missed much of a beat without Simmons in the lineup this season, as they are 5-2 thus far. Their losses have come against the Brooklyn Nets when they blew a late lead and the New York Knicks, who manhandled them from the start.

There is no denying that the 76ers are a better team with Philadelphia Simmons on the court. While their offense has improved, their defense has suffered. That was expected, but without Ben Simmons, or the players the team would receive in a return package in a trade, this team doesn’t look like a title contender.

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They will still find success in the regular season as they have a talented roster, but they are lacking in elite, All-Star level talent that will take them to that next level to win a championship.