Joel Embiid says 76ers are finally 'on the same page' without Ben Simmons

The Philadelphia 76ers still haven't played a game with point guard Ben Simmons this season, but that hasn't stopped the team from climbing to first place in the Eastern Conference standings. Joel Embiid doesn't sound too anxious to get Simmons back in the mix either.

''The chemistry that we have is very different from the previous years,'' Embiid told reporters after a 114-105 win over the Chicago Bulls, via CBS Sports. ''We're complete. We're on the same page."

The 76ers improved to 8-2 with the win, the team's best record through 10 games since the 2000-01 season. Embiid finished the victory over the Bulls with 30 points and 15 rebounds.

Simmons, 25, was an All-Star in each of the last three seasons, but struggled during the 2021 postseason. In a seven-game loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Simmons made just 15 of 45 free throws. In August 2021, it was reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer that Simmons asked to be traded by the 76ers.

Philadelphia hasn't traded Simmons, and the situation has devolved into a months-long standoff. Simmons tallied $2 million in fines, according to ESPN, before the 76ers elected to put fines on hold as the point guard cooperated with the team's return-to-play plan. But the good will didn't last long, and the team resumed its fines when Simmons stopped cooperating.

Simmons received a five-year, $170 million contract extension from the 76ers in 2019.