Without Ben Simmons, Brett Brown Sees a Learning Opportunity for the Sixers

Heading into the NBA All-Star break two weeks ago, the Philadelphia 76ers had a fully healthy squad. The rare occurrence was a positive one, but it wouldn't last too long. By the time the Sixers returned to their first practice since the All-Star break concluded, one of the team's most essential pieces suffered an injury.

While going up for a rebound in practice, Sixers' starting point guard Ben Simmons felt discomfort in his lower back. After reporting it to the medical staff, he was ruled out for last Thursday's game with lower-back tightness.

At the time, Simmons' injury didn't seem like anything too serious. And while Brett Brown is no medical expert, the Sixers head coach made it clear that he believed Simmons' setback wasn't anything significant. Apparently everybody, Simmons included, thought that was the case too as the third-year guard was cleared for action the following Saturday.

It was a high-stakes matchup for the Sixers, who were facing the Milwaukee Bucks on the road during a five-game road skid. Simmons looked good as he shot two-for-two from the field, totaling for five points in nearly five minutes. Unfortunately, one of his scoring opportunities caused a notable amount of pain, which forced the guard to rush back to the locker room, followed by the Sixers' medical staff.

An emotional X-ray then led to a scheduled MRI for the following morning. When Simmons and his team didn't get an answer on Sunday afternoon, they had to wait nearly 48 hours before receiving a diagnosis and going over treatment options.

Finally, the results are out there. Although it's a vague description, Simmons was diagnosed with a "nerve impingement," according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. While there's no return set for the All-Star, Simmons will miss at least two weeks and will be further evaluated when that time comes. When that evaluation does take place, there are expectations that Simmons will need further time to recover, according to ESPN's NBA Insider, Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Sixers aren't properly equipped to replace Simmons, and they know it. For the time being, the head coach, Brett Brown, plans to utilize a point guard by committee. If one of Brown's five prospects stands out as a clear-cut candidate to temporarily replace Simmons, then he will announce the change. For the time being, though, it will take a group effort.

Some say the Sixers should be in panic mode, but Brett Brown sees it differently. With 24 games left in the season, the Sixers' head coach has told his team there's still an "eternity" left to play, despite it being the final stretch of the regular season.

"[I tell them] just keep going back to the end game, what's the bottom line?" Brown asks as he described his message to a Ben Simmons-less locker room. "It's all about landing the plane -- that's what playoffs are. We've taken a hit with Ben [Simmons], I do see it this way. I'm not spinning it, [this is] an opportunity to learn. Something will emerge."

Whether that "something" is finding a steady and trustworthy backup for Simmons upon his return, or seeing how dominant Embiid can be as a solo headliner, Brown is feeling optimistic as he enters another learning experience. "We're going to learn something, and we're going to find something," he continued. "That's what I said [to the team], and that's what I think." The Sixers will enter their second-straight game entirely without Simmons on Wednesday night as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_