Ben Simmons makes his long-awaited Nets debut against his former side the Philadelphia 76ers

Ben Simmons makes long-awaited Nets debut against his former side the Philadelphia 76ers as he finally ends his 470-DAY NBA absence… but the three-time All-star and Brooklyn cannot secure a win

  • Ben Simmons made his Brooklyn Nets debut Monday night in a preseason game
  • The debut came against the Australian’s former team, the Philadelphia 76ers 
  • Simmons missed the entire 2021-22 season, that saw him traded to Brooklyn
  • He played 90 minutes and finished with six points, five assists and four rebounds
  • But the Brooklyn Nets suffered a 127-108 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers 
  • Click here for all your latest international Sports news from DailyMail.com

Ben Simmons makes his long-awaited debut for the Brooklyn Nets in a pre-season game against his former side the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night. 

After missing the entire 2021-22 season that saw him traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to Brooklyn, Simmons finally took to court for the Nets – against his former side. 

The three-time All-Star played 19 minutes in the first half and finished with six points, five assists, four rebounds and one steal. 

Ben Simmons makes his long-awaited debut for the Brooklyn Nets in a pre-season game against his former side the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night

The three-time All-Star played 19 minutes in the first half and finished with six points

The three-time All-Star played 19 minutes in the first half and finished with six points

The Australian star was explosive at times, playing multiple positions as he was used at point guard and center. 

With Simmons on court, the Nets finally had all three of their big stars on the floor at the same time. 

Kevin Durant had 13 points for the Nets, Kyrie Irving had nine points and four assists and Simmons added six points and five assists. 

But Simmons and the Nets could no clinch a win against his former side as Tyrese Maxey scored 20 points, Julian Champagnie and Furkan Korkmaz finished with 15 each to see the Philadelphia 76ers defeat Brooklyn 127-108. 

The Australian star was explosive at times and was used at point guard and center

The Australian star was explosive at times and was used at point guard and center

With Simmons on court, the Nets finally had all three of their big stars on the floor at the same time. Kevin Durant (let) had 13 points and Kyrie Irving (right) had nine points

With Simmons on court, the Nets finally had all three of their big stars on the floor at the same time. Kevin Durant (let) had 13 points and Kyrie Irving (right) had nine points

The marquee matchup Monday featured potentially two of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference with superstars on both squads. There are the questions about Simmons, traded last season to the Nets for James Harden, and whether pairing him with Durant, Irving and other pieces will be enough for the Nets to eclipse last season´s disappointing 44-38 record.

As for the Sixers, having Harden with MVP runner-up Joel Embiid for a full season should solidify Philadelphia´s spot as a top contender in the East.

But the full vision of those connections will have to wait.

For the preseason opener, the Sixers played a shell of their regular rotation. Embiid, Harden, newcomers Danuel House Jr. and P.J. Tucker took the night off.

Simmons was traded last season to the Nets for James Harden (left), who did not play Monday

Simmons was traded last season to the Nets for James Harden (left), who did not play Monday

Maxey took up the offensive slack with the absences, as the Sixers took an early lead with the help of 8-for-14 shooting on 3-pointers in the first quarter.

By the time halftime arrived, Philadelphia still held the lead behind Maxey´s 20 points. The three keys for the Nets – Durant, Irving and Simmons – played 19 minutes, and their night was done.

By the midway point of the third quarter, both teams had moved on to their reserves in what became a close game until the Sixers pulled away, outscoring the Nets 36-24 in the third.

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk