Ben Simmons

Simmons scored only 4 points and fouled out, perhaps a function of his enthusiasm, and his team lost by 130-108 to the New Orleans Pelicans. He was a bit rusty ...

Occasionally, he turned to Simmons, who sat next to him, and said something as they watched the Pelicans complete their 22-point victory. “Clearly, we started the game a little hectic, a little bit rattled to start the year. The Philadelphia 76ers, led by Joel Embiid and Harden, will also challenge for supremacy in the conference. But the way they played Wednesday didn’t match how they played in preseason games, perhaps hinting at their ability to play much better. The 2020-21 season was shortened by 10 games because of the pandemic, but the Nets finished it with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. But to compete in the East this season will be no easy task. The Nets never found the right offer, if such a thing even existed for a player of his caliber. He spent the off-season healing and said he felt fully healthy at the start of training camp. The Nets said they did not want a part-time player, until they did. Simmons scored only 4 points and fouled out, perhaps a function of his enthusiasm, and his team lost, 130-108, to the New Orleans Pelicans in the N.B.A. “Would you rather be a team where you have championship aspirations and a lot of pressure on you to win? But just the fact that Simmons played in the game Wednesday was momentous.