Can Ben Simmons Help LA Clippers More than Nets?

Former Brooklyn forward Ben Simmons re-find his mojo in LA?

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

In September of 2022, the Brooklyn Nets made the difficult decision to ship off then-superstar guard James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package involving Ben Simmons.

With the move, the team hoped to develop a reclamation project in Simmons, the former Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star who had finished as the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up prior to a back injury.

His time in Brooklyn, though, didn’t go as planned for both. Across just 90 games in three seasons, just averaged just 6.6 points per game on 56% shooting. The all-around play with 6.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game remained there, but his previous scoring aggressiveness seemed lost with the Nets.

The Simmons-Nets saga came to a this year, when Brooklyn bought out his lucrative contract, and he hit the free market.

Then, Simmons signed on with the Clippers, and in his lone pre-All Star contest, seemed to revitalized. In LA’s overtime win versus the Jazz, Simmons added 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block. Even more importantly, he shot an efficient 4-for-5, nailing all four of tries at the stripe.

While it was only one game, it begs the question: can Simmons make a difference for the Clippers, who remain in the West postseason hunt?

For now, signs point to no.

In his time with the Nets, Simmons saw plenty of evidence that the spark he had in Philadelphia was gone. And while that could still return, it’s especially unlikely he finds that rhythm in the home stretch of a postseason push.

Where he formerly relied on his athleticism, he’s certainly got less juice in that area, and Brooklyn saw that across two-and-a-half seasons.

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