Former Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons left quite an impression in his first game with the Los Angeles Clippers. After signing with the Clippers, Simmons put up 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals in their win against the Utah Jazz.
Those are far from the numbers he put up with the Sixers when he was at his peak. However, they are good numbers for someone playing on a veteran's minimum contract and someone who was signed mid-season. It's also a reminder of something else - the Sixers won big when they traded Simmons three years ago.
The Sixers made the most out of their crummy situation with Simmons in 2022. Trading for James Harden made them the most formidable they had ever been in the Joel Embiid era. It didn't work for them, but most teams don't do as well as they did when trading a disgruntled star.
Simmons was the centerpiece of the deal to the Brooklyn Nets in return for Harden. In the three-and-a-half seasons he played for the Nets, Simmons played in 90 games. Even then, his numbers were nowhere near what he put up when he was a Sixer.
The Sixers can be relieved that, ultimately, they still made the playoffs both years Harden was on the team. Both times, Philadelphia made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They made at least some progress, while the Nets have fallen apart with Simmons on the team.
That wasn't necessarily Simmons' fault for what happened to Brooklyn, but after how badly things turned out for them, Philadelphia can be happy that Simmons' fall from grace didn't affect them at all.
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