Kings F Simmons Believed to Have Suffered Season-Ending Injury

With the regular season tipping off next week, the Sacramento Kings suffered some devastating news on Sunday, as Ben Simmons is believed to have suffered a torn Achilles tendon at practice.

Simmons, who signed with the Kings after a year away from the NBA for the purpose of getting healthy, now finds himself sidelined once again.

For Sacramento, who had reportedly liked what Simmons had been doing so much that he was projected to be in head coach Doug Christie's starting five on opening night, the team must now pivot.

Simmons was projected to take on some of the secondary ball handling duties alongside Darius Acuff Jr., giving the Kings another facilitator.

But, without the former NBA Rookie of the Year, it will be on players like Nique Clifford and Malik Monk to take on larger roles as playmakers.

The Kings also just parted ways with backcourt depth like Elfird Payton and Tristen Newton, who could have been more-valuable with this unfortunate injury.

To add insult to injury, Simmons had just released his documentary on the ESPN App and Disney+, where he opened up about his injury history and career turn after such profound early success.

Heading forward, the Kings will hope that it is a more-minor injury than what is being reported, but must do what they can with the season rapidly approaching.

An increased offensive burden will likely be placed on Acuff without Simmons, but this is likely right where the standout first-year wants to be.

In late-September, Kings General Manager Scott Perry joined SacTown Sports' Radio to talk about the upcoming season and what he expects from his top pick.

Perry admitted that Acuff will have a lot on his shoulders as a rookie, but said that the franchise is willing to roll with the "bumps and bruises."

Acuff's on-court ability is impressive, but Perry said his most impressive attribute is how much he loves the game.

Perry said that Acuff has a drive to be great, and that has been evident in his comments since being drafted,

For a Kings backcourt in desperate need of shot creation and playmaking, Acuff provides both, taking over games in college with his dual-threat abilities.

Early on, there may be some growing pains with Acuff posting efficient nights consistently, but the Kings' coaching staff needs to allow him to work out the kinks and get comfortable.

If Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis can return to pre-injury form, Sacramento should be a formidable offensive team.

But, likely without Simmons, the defense remains a big weakness.