Ben Simmons Listed as 'Probable' for Sixers' Matchup Against Bucks on Saturday

When it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers, injuries tend to happen more often than not. Unfortunately, this season, injuries have occurred quite often to some key members of the team. Joel Embiid and Josh Richardson have been the usual suspects who have fallen victim to injuries this year quite often.

Right now, though, those two are healthy and able to make an impact on the starting lineup. The player who is typically the most durable for the Sixers, Ben Simmons, shockingly ended up missing just his third game recently on Thursday as the Sixers hosted the Brooklyn Nets.

Sickness and minor setbacks aren't new to Simmons, who has had his fair share of kinks throughout the year. However, actually missing games is rare for Simmons. When he was initially listed as questionable on Thursday afternoon, nobody batted an eye.

When Simmons was officially ruled out a couple of hours before tip-off, though, people were shocked. A Simmons-less lineup for the Sixers doesn't come by often, thankfully. Because without the All-Star point guard, the Sixers clearly struggle.

Although Philly was able to pull off a victory over the Nets without the big guard on Thursday night, thanks to a dominant night by Joel Embiid, the flow of the game wasn't optimal. Not only did it take an extra five minutes worth of overtime to close it out, but Sixers' head coach Brett Brown struggled to find a primary replacement for Simmons' job.

Therefore, a mini tryout took place until the Sixers finally felt comfortable in the second half. The Sixers barely survived without Simmons and clearly missed him on the court. Therefore, there are high hopes the All-Star can return on Saturday as the 76ers travel to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Saturday night. As of now, he's listed as probable. So there's a good chance he's back on the court with his team.

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