When teams are preparing for the NBA Playoffs, it’s not uncommon for them to have a player on their roster simulate the opposing team’s best player. As the LA Clippers prepare for their opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, they had Ben Simmons take the role of Nikola Jokic during their practice session on Wednesday, as per Law Murray of The Athletic.
In addition to Ben Simmons, the Clippers also used two-way contract forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. as a Jokic imitation as they prepare for their NBA Playoffs series against the Nuggets.
Also this week, the Los Angeles Lakers used Bronny James as the Anthony Edwards imitation as they prepare for their opening round against the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Wolves used Joe Ingles as their Luka Doncic simulation, as per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
While Simmons is certainly playing an important role during Clippers practice, he’s going to be a player they’ll need to step up during the NBA Playoffs. Simmons joined the team following a midseason buyout from the Brooklyn Nets, and has the potential to be one of their top second unit players.
Since joining the Clippers, Simmons has appeared in 18 games off the bench, at a little over 16 minutes per game. He’s averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists with splits of 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 85.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
After the past few seasons of being hampered with injury and being in and out of the lineup, Simmons has the opportunity to play a big role in the playoffs. He has not made a postseason appearance since the 2021 season when the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks.
The Clippers are coming off a huge win against the Golden State Warriors to end the regular season and avoid the play-in. They secured the No. 5 seed and will open up the series on the road. Last season, the Clippers were the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and ended up being eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in six games amid Kawhi Leonard’s knee injury.
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