Kings F Simmons Breaks Silence on Achilles Injury

After early reports on Sunday indicated a serious injury for Sacramento Kings forward Ben Simmons, the bad news was confirmed by Simmons himself.

"I've faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I've found a way through every single one of them," Simmons wrote on Instagram. "This injury is another chapter in my journey, not the end of my story."

This is a brutal injury for Simmons, who spent last year away from the NBA to get healthy and focus on mounting a comeback.

Early reporting had indicated that Simmons looked great, with analysts, NBA veterans, and other people around the league all praising the Kings' signing.

But, now Simmons suffers another setback, which has become an unfortunate theme since his early success with the Philadelphia 76ers.

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

The former NBA Rookie of the Year has averaged 7.2 assists per game across his NBA career, with his size allowing him to also play defense at a high level.

Across his career, Simmons has averaged 1.5 steals per game, while displaying versatility on that end of the floor.

With his size and agility, Simmons can hold his own against bigger players, while also switching onto and keeping up with smaller guards.

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

Now, the burden will be on players like Nique Clifford and Malik Monk to take on larger roles as playmakers and defenders off the bench.

Clifford showed real growth throughout the offseason as a ball handler, initiating the offense alongside Acuff in the NBA Summer League.

Monk, on the other hand, has taken on a heavier scoring burden as of late, but has shown the ability to be a good playmaker in the past.

In consecutive seasons from 2023-2025, Monk averaged over five assists per game for Sacramento, which would be a big benefit to get this season.

For Simmons, getting back to full health will be a grind, especially after such positive feedback and vibes so close to the start of the regular season.

But, he assured Kings fans that he will "get back up," writing that responding to adversity and being able to knock down the hurdles before you is what defines you.

With the regular season tipping off Tuesday and the Kings making their debut on Wednesday, head coach Doug Christie will have to quickly adjust to losing a player who had made strides to be in the staring lineup.