76ers Injury Report: Thybulle Progressing, Simmons Misses Practice

The beginning of a tough road trip for the Philadelphia 76ers couldn't have started any worse. With back to back games in the state of Florida, the Sixers failed to come away with a win. First, they dropped their second game against the Orlando Magic this season. Then followed up with an overtime loss to the Miami Heat.

Now, the Sixers are patiently waiting for their flight to Indiana on Monday afternoon as they are set to take on the Pacers for a New Year's Eve afternoon matchup. Before the Sixers take flight, though, they held a practice on the Miami Heat's home court so they can prepare to get back on their feet before attempting to bounce back on Tuesday.

Once again, 76ers' rookie Matisse Thybulle wasn't a participant in practice. As the injured guard is healing up from his knee sprain, he is still looking for ways to develop his game without causing further damage to his lower-body.

Thybulle has missed an entire week's worth of games already and will miss this week's too. Next week, the rookie will have the opportunity to receive a re-evaluation from the Sixers' medical staff, and they will determine whether he needs more time to heal, or if he's ready to go.

According to Yahoo Sports NBA Insider, Chris Haynes, the Sixers initially expected a return in two to four weeks from the time of the injury. Nothing will be set until the re-evaluation happens, but at least Thybulle is able to continuously work on his shot as he rehabs from his injury.

Thybulle wasn't the only Sixer to miss Monday's practice either. 76ers' starting point guard Ben Simmons was absent, due to an illness. As we know, Philly is quite familiar with random sicknesses within their locker room. And last season, Simmons ended up missing a game or two because of illness.

It's unclear what Simmons is currently dealing with, but his absence from practice on Monday is not a great sign. With a 3 pm start on Tuesday, the Sixers' point guard could be cutting it close as their next matchup is a little over 24 hours away.