There was a time when Los Angeles Clippers guard-forward Ben Simmons was among the elite players in the NBA. Those days might never return for Simmons, but he sure has a lot of fans impressed somehow in his first game with Los Angeles on Thursday night against the Utah Jazz on the road in Salt Lake City.
Making his debut for the Clippers, the former LSU Tigers star and ex-No. 1 overall NBA draft pick immediately made a good impression with his play.
His first bucket with the Clippers was a dunk off an alley-oop pass from future Basketball Hall of Famer James Harden. Simmons displayed great awareness during that play, as he recognized the Jazz’s defense breaking down before cutting baseline to the basket for an easy throwdown.
Ben Simmons catches the alley-oop for his first Clippers points 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yvBCWEokZ3
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 14, 2025
Many fans online feel as though that Simmons is balling again based on their reactions to that play and his performance in his first game with the Clippers. Here are some of those comments on X (formerly Twitter):
“He’s back”
“Revenge tour begins today!”
“He looked amazing tonight . Bro is lighting fast again”
“Crafty technique, he was really fast doing that 😂”
“Flashback of his prime”
Can Ben Simmons sustain his form after Clippers debut?
Coming off the bench in the Jazz game, Simmons finished with 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the floor, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals plus a block in 27 minutes of action. That was a solid Clippers debut for Simmons, who could potentially develop into a much more important and dangerous weapon for Los Angeles, which enters the 2025 NBA All-Star break on a three-game win streak and with a 31-23 record.
So far in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, Simmons is averaging 6.4 points, 6.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds per outing.
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