Ben Simmons has been through it. Once an NBA All-Star with a max contract, he found himself marooned—teamless after the trade deadline—until the LA Clippers threw him a lifeline. Now, with a fresh start and a 1-year, $1.08 million contract, Simmons is determined to rewrite his story.

“I’m a competitor. I just want to compete regardless of all the b——- that is said online that doesn’t come from me,” Simmons said at his introductory presser. “I want to compete, and I’m here to do that. To play alongside some of these great players is going to be great. I think everyone is going to push each other to be better and expect greatness, so that’s my expectation coming to the Clippers.”

For a player who’s been written off more times than he can count, Simmons sounds like a man with something to prove. And his new head coach already has a plan.

Ty Lue believes the former Nets star can turn the tide for LA. “He can push the pace when he rebounds the basketball. Unbelievable passer. Can put him at the elbows. Use him in transition. When he’s playing with 1st unit when Zu is out/playing the 5 more so the corner, catch uphill, DHOs, play off that,” Lue said.

Translation? The Clippers think they can unlock something the league hasn’t seen from the 3x All-Star in years! 

Ty Lue’s excitement about Simmons isn’t just coach-speak. The Clippers’ offense has struggled all season—pace is sluggish, ball movement stalls, and shot selection often leaves fans groaning. It’s why they rank 19th in offensive rating this season. And Simmons is a logical solution.

It’s not just about running, though. Ben also offers the Clippers a playmaking boost in half-court sets. Given their struggles with bench scoring, Lue could deploy the 28-year-old as a point-center alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. His 6’10” frame and court vision allow him to orchestrate from the elbows—finding cutters, spotting up shooters, or throwing alley-oops in his sleep. It’s similar to what Harden does as a pass-first facilitator, but with the added benefit of Simmons’ size and versatility.

While the man has dealt with injuries and inconsistency, his 6.9 assists per game in just 25 minutes this season show he’s still one of the most unselfish, high-impact players around when given the chance.

But circling back to his message for the Clippers, you would be surprised (or not) to know that this isn’t the first time he’s put forth his goals.

The goal stays the same for Ben Simmons at the LA Clippers

Ben Simmons mentioned that he joined the Clippers to help them and himself win an NBA championship. But this is not the first time Ben has declared his championship ambitions to the world. However, for one reason or another, it hasn’t worked for him so far. So let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see what happened.

“So my mentality never changes. I’m here to win a championship; that goal’s never going to change.” Ben Simmons said this back in 2020 when rumors of being traded away from the Philadelphia 76ers emerged. He doubled down on his remarks ahead of the Sixers’ playoff games. “I genuinely think this is the year. I feel like we genuinely believe we are here to win a championship,” he said. However, his dream would fall apart in front of his eyes after they lost a back-and-forth series to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference’s semi-final.

Nothing changed for Ben Simmons as far as his goals were concerned when he moved to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022. “I think we have a special team. I think if we get it all together, we’re going to be champions. That’s the end goal,” he said. But you probably know the drill by now. The Nets would perform admirably in the regular season that year.

However, his former club, the 76ers would end up sweeping the Nets in a cruel twist of fate. The Nets did not even qualify for the playoffs the following year, finishing as the 11th seed. And they find themselves in a similar position now in the 24/25 season.

But Simmons, who’s a Clipper now will only be concerned with helping his current club win the Championship. The Clippers are the 6th seed in the Western Conference. But with over 20 games left before the postseason, they have a lot of looking over their shoulder to do as they hold on to their playoff spot. However, if Ty manages to find the right fit for Ben Simmons, this may finally be the year both the Clippers and Simmons win the championship that eludes them so.