Ben Simmons

The NBA preseason is rarely relevant. Stars either sit out or play limited minutes. Nobody cares about the outcome. And unlike the NFL, back of the roster ...

[Nikola Jokic](/nba/players/2135542/nikola-jokic/) and [Michael Porter Jr](/nba/players/2892728/michael-porter-jr/). If Westbrook is going to have a place on this team, it's going to have to come by playing the sort of unselfish basketball he did Monday night. Judging defense and effort in a preseason game would be foolish, but in one half of action, Westbrook at least seemed more open to the idea of playing a role rather than running the team. [Nets](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/BKN/brooklyn-nets/) fans aren't known for filling up their arena, and Philadelphia is only a short drive away. At the very least, he showed he still has plenty of burst. In one clip, we see Murray's explosiveness, his ability to change directions and his craft as a scorer. If that's the alignment Brooklyn plans to run with this season, Simmons will have plenty of chances to prove himself as a Net. Murray scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 15 minutes of action, and for now, that's about all we can expect out of Murray. Three players -- all of whom missed last season -- all returned to the floor for their three respective squads. [NFL](/nfl), back of the roster spots are usually decided in the offseason with only an occasional slot dictated by preseason performance. [NBA preseason](/nba/schedules) history. And unlike the

Simmons was back in the Sixers' orbit Monday night, making his unofficial Brooklyn Nets debut in the preseason opener for both teams at the Barclays Center.

Monday did not mark the end of the Simmons story line. Rivers also praised the way the Sixers rose above the adversity to finish tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Preseason game results mean nothing, but the Sixers’ sharp execution in amassing a 19-point first-quarter lead Monday without Embiid, Harden, and Tucker — and while facing Simmons, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving — is perhaps evidence of that improved state. He never played for the Sixers again, citing that he was not mentally ready. He then participated in two practices but was kicked out of the session the day before the opener for not participating in a defensive drill. Simmons was back in the Sixers’ orbit Monday night, making his unofficial Brooklyn Nets debut in the preseason opener for both teams at the Barclays Center.

For over a year, Ben Simmons was many things - a meme, a scapegoat, a trade asset, and holdout artist. Now, he's finally an NBA player again.

Ben Simmons may still be extremely limited on the offensive end, but it’s not as much of an issue with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving playing off of him. To have that feeling to be able to come out and know you’re going to play on a NBA floor especially at Barclays with some great players, it’s excitement.” But Ben Simmons wasn’t focused on the crowd noise – he’s just happy to be back.

On Monday night, Ben Simmons made his debut for the Brooklyn Nets, and his first basket was a dunk. The three-time NBA All-Star was traded from the ...

Last season, the Nets were swept in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. Simmons was the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft out of LSU and has played four seasons in the NBA. Three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons played his first game with the Nets and first game since the 2021 NBA Playoffs (he missed the entire 2021-22 season).

Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers had one of the most tumultuous relationships a player could ever have with a team. After sitting out for a season due ...

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers reacted to the long-awaited return of Ben Simmons with the Brooklyn Nets.

Ben Simmons made his return to the NBA hardwood on Monday night, suiting up for the Nets in a preseason game, and he looked okay. Rusty, but not bad.

The Wizards have upgraded the rotation around that duo with [Will Barton](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29840/will-barton) and [Monte Morris](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30477/monte-morris) joining [Kyle Kuzma](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30453/kyle-kuzma), [Deni Avdija](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/58301/deni-avdija) and [Delon Wright](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30176/delon-wright). [Jerami Grant](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30076/jerami-grant) was brought as a two-way wing, and [Anfernee Simons](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30595/anfernee-simons) [was re-signed to be another ball handler and scorer](https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/06/30/report-trail-blazers-anfernee-simons-agree-to-four-year-100-million-contract/). Around them are, Jusuf Nurkic, [Gary Payton II](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30403/gary-payton-ii), [Josh Hart](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30456/josh-hart), Justice Winslow and others. Portland is a good team in a conference deep with good teams. [just re-signed](https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/06/30/bradley-beal-re-signing-with-wizards-on-251m-max-contract/) [Bradley Beal](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29803/bradley-beal) you’ve got a good two-man core. Maybe playoff good, but they will need some help from other good teams above them — the Wizards need to stay healthy and hope some other teams stumble. [Russell Westbrook](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29376/russell-westbrook) questions — how long will he buy into Ham’s system? “We want to be in the playoffs,” said Brown, the guy who got the job. Cleveland has questions about who plays the three and if they have enough defense to threaten the teams at the top, but the Cavaliers don’t have to answer all those questions this season. Strong teams are going to be in the play-in this year, and a couple will miss the postseason altogether. 8 seed in the East but dropped a couple of play-in games and were on vacation when the playoffs actually started. Making the playoffs in the NBA has always seemed a low bar — more than half the teams in the league get in — but it may never be harder than this season.

Brooklyn Nets power forward Ben Simmons faced his first team on the court on Monday evening in a 127-108 preseason loss against the Philadelphia 76ers, ...

It was the first time Simmons has played in a game with players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and a transitional period is inevitable. He was eventually traded to the Nets ahead of the trade deadline last season in the deal that netted the Sixers James Harden. "But I wasn't nervous. I had a lot of fun out there." ... I want the kid to do well. "Having said that, listen, I want him to do well, but he's no longer a Sixer, so I've completely moved on from him.

Legendary NBA coach Doc Rivers has been through quite a chaotic experience in Philadelphia. After securing the job in 2020, he led the Sixers for a while before ...

He was stretchered off the field and was evaluated at a Cincinnati hospital. Four days later, he was swung to the ground by a Cincinnati Bengals player and his head and upper back hit the turf hard. And you have to strip the name off the jersey and go to work." But after the Dolphins initially announced he was being evaluated for a head injury, Tagovailoa passed the concussion protocol and returned in the third quarter. Meanwhile, ten Hag insisted throughout the summer that CR7 wasn't for sale and was in his plans, and Dawson notes the boss "would still be reluctant to let him leave in January." Alabama leads the all-time series 11-3 and last lost to Texas A M in Tuscaloosa in 2012. Wilson completed 17 of 25 passes for 237 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions to go along with a team-best 29 rushing yards and also a score on the ground in the loss to the Raiders. "Unfortunately as a coach in the NBA, I have to do it a lot. He revealed that he lost a significant amount of weight because of the illness. "There are bumps in the road, and some are severe and some are not so much. In fact, he had to get blunt with reporters this week after they asked him about Ben and his role with the Brooklyn Nets. Back in February, he said this about Ben and the ordeal:

What did Ben Simmons have to say after making his preseason debut against his former team?

Now, his next challenge comes on November 22, when the Nets pay a visit to Philadelphia for the first time this year. While Simmons showed some understandable rust at times, he seemed to be moving up and down the floor well after a 470-day break between games. "I'm grateful just to be able to step on that floor," Simmons said. Ironically, the matchup was against his former team. Simmons missed more than just the one game against his former team last season. On the other hand, Simmons remained off the floor as he was battling a back injury.

With the NBA regular season right around the corner, these three superstars are back to suiting up on teams with championship aspirations.

With the NBA regular season right around the corner, these three superstars are joining (or re-joining) teams with championship aspirations and contention expectations. He gave optimists a lot of reasons to feel vindicated for their faith that he would return better than ever in his first game back, finishing with 10 points on 4-7 from the field in only 15 minutes. [per ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34722473/ben-simmons-makes-brooklyn-nets-debut-grateful-just-able-step-floor).