Ben Simmons' Knee Injury Not Expected to Be Long-Term Issue, Per 76ers' Rivers

Ben Simmons will miss his second straight game Monday because of knee swelling, but Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers doesn't think it's a long-term issue, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic.

"This early in the season we're just trying to go with more safe than sorry right now," Rivers said.

Simmons was out for Saturday's loss to the Denver Nuggets and didn't travel with the team ahead of Monday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

The 76ers were off to a strong start to the season with a 7-1 record, but they have lost the last two and remain significantly short-handed because of injuries and health and safety protocols.

The team will be without Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle and Vincent Poirier Monday because of the league's protocols, while Furkan Korkmaz and Terrance Ferguson are also unavailable. 

It puts more pressure on Simmons to return quickly to help get the 76ers back on the right track.

The guard would certainly make a significant impact as a two-time All-Star who was named first-team All-Defense last year. He is currently averaging 13.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists so far in 2020-21.

However, the 76ers have high expectations this season and are looking to make a deep run in the playoffs after reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals in two of the last three years. They were swept in the first round last season with Simmons unavailable because of a back injury.

It's clear keeping the 24-year-old healthy for the playoffs is key to the team's success, which could make it worth it for Philadelphia to sacrifice a few early-season games without him.