Former 76ers All-Star Shines in Clippers Debut With James Harden

Ben Simmons had a stellar debut with the LA Clippers.

Feb 13, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) defends LA Clippers guard/forward Ben Simmons (25) during the first half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia 76ers-Los Angeles Clippers connection expanded this week as LA added the three-time NBA All-Star, Ben Simmons.

Just as the Clippers parted ways with the former Sixers PJ Tucker and Mo Bamba, Simmons joined the organization after reaching a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets.

Simmons joined former Sixers guard James Harden. Ironically, the two were traded for each other in 2022.

As Simmons parted ways with Brooklyn, it was clear his Nets tenure didn’t match the same success he had in Philadelphia. After getting selected No. 1 overall by the Sixers in 2016, Simmons found plenty of success by adding several notable nods to his resume, including Rookie of the Year, three All-Star appearances, and a Defensive Player of the Year runner-up acknowledgment.

Simmons left Brooklyn with just 90 games to show for in three years. He averaged seven points, six rebounds, and six assists over that span.

On Thursday night, Simmons made his Clippers debut in a matchup against the Utah Jazz. The veteran guard got the opportunity to come off the bench for 27 minutes. By the end of the night, Simmons was showered with praise by NBA fans as he put together a solid debut.

Ben Simmons's first points as a Clipper come on an alley-oop from James Harden 👏 https://t.co/HO4DZEpI0I pic.twitter.com/eB7ZhOgROF

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 14, 2025

Taking five shots from the field, Simmons made all but one of his attempts. The veteran guard went 4-4 from the free-throw line. He scored 12 points.

Along with his scoring, Simmons dished out six assists on the offensive end. He also came down with seven rebounds while snatching three steals and swatting a shot on defense.

While the sample size is small, two Clippers lineups, including Simmons, Harden, and Nic Batum, found plenty of success against Utah on Thursday.

In 18 possessions, a lineup of Simmons, Harden, Batum, Norman Powell, and Kris Dunn had a +31.6 differential (per 100), according to Cleaning the Glass. Another one with Bogdan Bogdanovic in over Powell resulted in a +59.9 differential in 14 possessions.

Harden finished Thursday’s action with 49 minutes played. He shot 8-19 from the field and 11-15 from the free-throw line to score 32 points. Harden collected a double-double as he accounted for 10 rebounds. A triple-double was teased as Harden dished out seven assists.

The Clippers defeated the Jazz 120-116. They head into the All-Star break with a 31-23 record. The Clippers place sixth in the Western Conference, just two games back from the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.

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