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Ben Simmons has been fined again by the Philadelphia 76ers.Credit:AP

Coach Doc Rivers even kicked Simmons out of practice on October 19 for not engaging and refusing to participate in an on-court drill. Three days later,Simmons complained of back tightness ahead of a scheduled individual workout at the practice facility. Even after being treated and cleared to work out,he left the practice facility without participating in drills.

The next day,Simmons informed the Sixers he was not mentally ready to play. As a result,they had to stop fining him due to a provision in the NBA collective bargaining agreement that protects players’ salaries for not rendering services if it is because of a mental disability.

Prior to these recent developments,Simmons said he wanted to be traded in a meeting with Sixers executives,and later communicated thathe believes his partnership with the team and Joel Embiid has run its course.

The Sixers (7-2) are the most unlikely team atop the eastern conference standings. Yet,there they are,a half-game ahead of the second-place Miami Heat,thanks to a five-game winning streak.

The Sixers have had their hands full with the Simmons saga,injuries and bouts with COVID-19.

“You know what’s funny with us,we don’t know we have problems,” Rivers said. “We don’t talk about them. We don’t voice them. We don’t talk about all this stuff.”

On Thursday,the Sixers only had nine available players against the Pistons.

Danny Green (left hamstring tightness),Furkan Korkmaz (right wrist soreness),Simmons (mentally not ready to play),Jaden Springer (G League assignment),Tobias Harris (COVID-19 health and safety protocols) and Isaiah Joe (COVID-19 heath and safety protocols) were unavailable.

The undermanned Sixers will look to defeat the Chicago Bulls for the second time in four days on Saturday night at the United Centre. They defeated third-place Bulls (6-2) by five points Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Centre.

The Philadelphia Inquirer