Report: There's a 'Level of Concern' Regarding the Nature of Ben Simmons' Injury

Earlier this week, Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons was going up for a rebound in practice when he experienced a notable amount of pain in his back. After practice, he reported it to the team's trainers and would soon be diagnosed with 'lower-back tightness.'

That kind of injury isn't necessarily new for Simmons as he's dealt with a setback as such before. However, Simmons typically pushes through the back pain and plays through it. This time around, the situation was different, though.

After waking up with the same tightness the following morning after the injury initially occurred, the Sixers decided to play it safe with their All-Star and rule him out for the matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

Without Simmons on the floor, the Sixers struggled offensively and defensively. Therefore, when Saturday's road game against the Bucks came around, the team had high hopes for the return of Simmons. He was probable as of Friday, and would soon get upgraded to available early on Saturday.

Simmons was feeling good throughout the day on Saturday, but it didn't last very long by the time the game started up. Roughly five minutes through the matchup, Simmons' back pain resurfaced, and the star headed off to the locker room.

There were talks about Simmons planning to constantly go to the locker room throughout the game for treatment on his back to keep him loose, but his first trip ended up being his last. Simmons was quickly ruled out of the game and went in for an X-ray.

According to ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the reaction from Simmons' initial X-ray wasn't a positive one. According to a source, Simmons was described to be "emotional" as he departed from the X-ray room in Milwaukee on Saturday.

"There is some level of concern surrounding the possible nature of the injury," Wojnarowski wrote on Saturday night. "A clearer picture is expected after testing on Sunday in Philadelphia." Soon, Simmons will undergo an MRI to determine what he's dealing with. Right now, his status for Monday is up in the air.

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