For as long as LA Clipper fans have been waiting on a veteran point guard to lead the second unit, executive Lawrence Frank finally found one in Ben Simmons after the trade deadline. This addition was beyond necessary, as Simmons took command of the floor once former MVP James Harden headed to the bench.
Furthermore, in a 20-point comeback against the Utah Jazz, Simmons made his official debut for the Clippers. He was playing well in the first half, scoring his first basket off an alley-oop from Harden with a little over three minutes left in the first quarter.
Once halftime came around, Simmons had not impacted the game much, and LA was only down by six. Head coach Tyronn Lue was waiting to see how Utah defended the former LSU Tiger.
The post-half shoot-around ended, and the Clippers had made apparent changes in the locker room. Most of these adjustments correlated to Simmons' offensive rhythm, as Lue wanted to involve him more.
This is where Simmons received the green light to showcase how dominant he could be in a new system that believed in him on both ends of the court.
Ben Simmons' debut could not have ended any better than it did for the LA Clippers.
In the first half, Tyronn Lue tested a lineup for the LA Clippers that played Ben Simmons and eight-year veteran Bogdan Bogdanović, resting James Harden. This did not work, as the Clippers' offense had gone blank. LA needed Harden's gravity to keep the Jazz on their heels.
Lue used his instincts and played Simmons with Harden for a significant amount of time in the final two quarters. This left Utah clueless, as they did not expect the former first-overall pick to play this well.
Offensively, Simmons was spectacular. His eyes were always up, and the three-time all-star focused only on involving his teammates and scoring when the time was right. However, Simmons' momentum stemmed from the defensive end, as he forced several turnovers by laying his body on the line.
Overall, Simmons posted 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a block, shooting 4-5 from the field and 4-4 from the line.
He also recorded zero turnovers and gained Lue's trust to close the game in overtime. This exemplifies how good he was, as his first game in a Clipper uniform ended in a major win.
Debut Grade: A+