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As the Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for the 2025 NBA Draft, their former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons is suited up for the Los Angeles Clippers, competing in the NBA Playoffs.
When Simmons took the floor for last week’s Game 1 battle between the Clippers and the Nuggets, it was his first set of playoff action since the last time he played for the Sixers. The infamous Game 7 between Philadelphia and the Atlanta Hawks was just the start of a shocking regression for Simmons.
Years later, Simmons has embraced a different role. He went from a go-to star to being an off-the-bench contributor. While he’s not putting up the same production as he did with the Sixers when he was a three-time NBA All-Star, Simmons has had a sneaky impact in the playoffs for the Clippers, and NBA fans are giving him credit that’s due.
via @ClippersUK: Ben Simmons impact on this series shouldn’t go unnoticed. It won’t show much in the box score but he’s provided so much value in the non-Zu minutes. He offers the Clippers something completely unique, and has taken the challenge of guarding Jokic brilliantly so far.
@nmzhoops: Doubt he gets much praise but Ben Simmons has made an impact in this series. Salute to him for the winning plays he’s making out there.
@FeelLikeDrew: Ben Simmons saved us. Insane how good he is as a backup center, dude is an A+ rim protector. Just stopped 2 fastbreaks in a row
@nicktharula: Ben Simmons minutes on Jokic leading to a 16-2 run
@_utilitysports: No one is gonna talk about it but Ben Simmons has been very useful in his minutes this series
@FlyByKnite: The biggest adjustment by either side in this series so far has been Tyronn Lue putting in Ben Simmons midway through the first quarter to allow Ivica Zubac to get rest and play against non-Jokic lineups early in the second quarter. Clippers have killed Denver in those stints.
Ty Lue made sure to give Ben Simmons some credit for changing the flow of tonight's game.
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) April 25, 2025
Heading into the first-round series between the Clippers and the Nuggets, nobody knew what to expect from Simmons. The veteran’s status as Nikola Jokic on the Clippers’ practice scout team was all of the talk out of Los Angeles, as many expected Simmons’ value to go no higher than that.
But the former No. 1 overall pick is making a difference and Clippers fans don’t want his playoff run to go under the radar so far. Simmons has played in just 30 minutes through three games. He attempted just four shots, scoring two points. It could be the first playoff run where Simmons scores fewer than 100 points.
Despite the lack of offensive production, Simmons’ defense has remained strong. According to Cleaning the Glass’s efficiency metric, Simmons is a +18 when he’s on the floor. Only former Sixer Nic Batum is higher, at +23.
On Thursday, the Clippers took a 2-1 series lead after a 117-83 win over the Nuggets. The two teams will meet again on Saturday at LA for Game 4.
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Cleveland Cavaliers Should Pursue This Remaining Free Agent
Before we know it, the entire Cleveland Cavaliers team will be back in Independence at the training facility getting ready for the 2025-26 season. Even though media day and training camp are just around the corner, Cleveland’s front office still has a big decision to make: who will occupy the final roster spot? At this point in the summer, the majority of high-impact free agents are off the board. Whoever Cleveland brings in will likely have a small role with the team in terms of playing time or a spot in the rotation. However, there is one player who could be a perfect fit with the Cavaliers, and Koby Altman should be seriously pursuing. That player is Malcom Brogdon. Brogdon spent last season with the Washington Wizards, averaging 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 43 percent from the floor and 28 percent from behind the arc. Solid number, yes, but Brogdon only played in 24 games due to injuries. The 32-year-old also played a key role during the Boston Celtics' 2023 NBA championship, and even won Sixth Man of the Year that season. Throughout Brogdon’s career, he’s gained the reputation of being a solid playmaker and a tremendous defender, which the Cavaliers could desperately need, especially at the start of the season. Darius Garland could very well miss the start of the regular season as he rehabs from his offseason toe surgery, and the Cavaliers are already considering limiting Lonzo Ball by not having him play in back-to-backs. After that duo, the Cavaliers have Craig Porter Jr., who they still aren’t sure how he’ll perform in a full, consistent rotation spot. These unknowns could pave way for Brogdon to receive some signaifnt playing time earlier in the season, possibly even start. One potential challenge in the Cavaliers' potential pursuit of Brogdon is that they are in a tight financial position as the second apron. However, a report from earlier in the summer indicated Brogdon may have to take a veteran's minimum prove-it deal to rebuild some of his value on the open market. Coming to Cleveland, playing a key, but still limited, role of the bench would vastly help the Cavaliers' point guard depth and could be exactly what Brogdon needs to prove to the rest of the NBA he can still be valuable piece to a winning team. Read More Cleveland Cavaliers Coverage: MORE: Cavaliers Face Early Challenge in NBA Schedule MORE: Cavaliers Among Most Desperate Teams for NBA Title MORE: Former All-Star Believes Cavaliers' Evan Mobley Has Hit His Ceiling MORE: The Cleveland Cavaliers Will Be In NBA's Spotlight Next Season MORE: Cavaliers Get New Win-Loss Projection After NBA Schedule Release
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Urban Meyer pushes for Chargers or NFL to suspend Jim Harbaugh
Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer thinks the Los Angeles Chargers or the NFL should take it upon themselves to punish Jim Harbaugh. On Aug. 15, the NCAA punished Michigan for violations connected to the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal. Harbaugh received a 10-year show-cause order. During Wednesday's episode of "The Triple Option" podcast, Meyer compared Harbaugh's situation to that of Jim Tressel in 2011. Meyer argued that the league or the Chargers should suspend Harbaugh, like the Indianapolis Colts did to Tressel. "There's an elephant in the room here, boys, though, that no one's talking about," Meyer said. "When Jim Tressel was fired at Ohio State and he was given a suspension, Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League, came out and said that, 'We're going to honor that suspension.' And you remember, he went to the Indianapolis Colts to work in the replay room or something. "The Colts, because of the respect they had for the NCAA and the suspension, you realize suspended Jim Tressel? So he was unable to perform his duties for the first six games of the year for the Indianapolis Colts. I think we all know the answer. Any chance that Roger Goodell and the NFL, of course not. And I don't know why." There is a belief that Harbaugh bolted to the Chargers after winning the national title in 2023 because he knew the NCAA was getting ready to punish the Wolverines. A six-game suspension is not comparable to a 10-year show-cause order, and punishing Harbaugh so lightly would be more symbolic than substantive. Frankly, it's bad business for the league to suspend Harbaugh and to connect the outspoken head coach to a trivial scandal that happened in college. Punishing Harbaugh would draw unwanted attention to the Chargers and the league, who knew what happened before he jumped to the NFL before the 2024 season.
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Steelers have major injury concern leaving preseason
The No. 1 priority for NFL teams in the preseason is to get out of the games without major injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have failed with that one on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, the team's first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, had to be carted to the locker room with a knee injury while also looking visibly upset as he was taken back. The team announced almost immediately that he would be out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin provided an update after the game: Defensive line was a top priority for the Steelers this offseason, especially after their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens where they allowed nearly 300 rushing yards to end their season. Along with Harmon, they also selected Iowa's Yahya Black in this year's class to help try to beef up their line. Harmon is expected to play a major role in this year's defense and was already in a starting position. With star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward holding in as he tries to get a new contract from the team, that puts even more importance on Harmon's ability to make an impact. He has had a strong training camp, and after a quiet first preseason game, he really took a big leap forward in the team's second game, recording a sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Heyward returns, and if Harmon's injury is not serious, the Steelers would have the potential to have a really strong defensive line with those two joining rising star Keeanu Benton. Right now, though, those are a lot of "ifs," especially as it relates to the availability for Heyward and Harmon for the team's season opener.
NASCAR official sheds light on Bubba Wallace's Richmond penalty
Bubba Wallace had never found much success at Richmond Raceway, but looked poised to deliver a breakthrough performance there on Saturday night. Wallace led 123 laps on the night and won Stage 2 after finishing second in the opening stage to 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick. Everything changed for the Brickyard 400 winner during a green-flag stop with 110 laps to go. As Wallace exited his stall, he lost his left-front tire and pulled into fellow Toyota driver Chase Briscoe's stall to get the tire back on prior to returning to the track. While the decision to pit in another box forced Wallace to serve a pass-through penalty, NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran said the sanctioning body viewed his actions as the safest move in that scenario. "The last thing we want is a wheel coming off on the race track. Obviously, the penalties ramp up when you leave pit road and a wheel falls off," Moran said, per NASCAR.com. "But truthfully, really what it is, it's just pitting out of the box is how we look at it. We do not want tires out on the race track, so if it can be avoided, we certainly would like to see that. So, the rule was set that if you happen to lose a tire and you can get it changed in a teammate's box, that's fair game before you leave and you will be penalized for pitting out of the box." This was the second time this season a driver made the abrupt decision to stop in another driver's box after losing a wheel on pit road. Back in March at Las Vegas, Christopher Bell did the same thing and, ironically enough, also stopped in Briscoe's box to get the wheel secured. Although Wallace ultimately finished two laps down in 28th, he appeared to have one of the best cars in the field until the pit road mishap derailed his race. He had only led 83 laps combined and recorded one top 10 in his previous 13 starts at Richmond, so the time he spent at the front was a major step in the right direction. Had the wheel come off on the track, two crew members would have received a two-race suspension, meaning the No. 23 team would not have been at full strength for the playoff opener at Darlington on Aug. 31. Instead, the on-the-spot decision-making kept that from happening on what was shaping up to be a career night at the "Action Track" for Wallace.
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