The Philadelphia 76ers returned to action Wednesday when they faced the Memphis Grizzlies to begin their preseason run. All the attention was on 2016 No. 1 overall pick, Ben Simmons. The former LSU star missed the entire 2016-17 season after sustaining a foot injury during a scrimmage last year.
In Simmons' debut for the 76ers, he played like the Los Angeles Lakers' Lonzo Ball. Similar to Ball, he struggled with his offense as he shot 2-of-8 from the field which included 0-of-3 from the three-point area. The 21-year-old finished with only six points.
However, he made up for it by having seven rebounds, nine assists, and one block. Indeed Simmons had a hard time with his scoring, though he excelled with playmaking which is his task in Philadelphia.
Debuting players
Aside from Simmons, other notable names that made their debuts for the 76ers were J.J. Redick, Markelle Fultz, Kris Humphries, James Michael McAdoo, and Emeka Okafor.
Redick, who is an offseason acquisition for Philadelphia, was the second-best scorer among the starters with 11 points. The 33-year-old also had two rebounds, one assist, and one block. Simmons' fellow rookie, Fultz, just had four points despite playing the most minutes.
Humphries and McAdoo failed to contribute on offense for the 76ers.
Meanwhile, the returning Okafor, who headed to Philadelphia late in September, registered two points, five rebounds, and a steal in almost 20 minutes on the floor.
Grizzlies remain unbeaten
With the victory over the 76ers, the Grizzlies stay undefeated in this year's preseason. Before ousting Philadelphia, they beat the Orlando Magic last Monday, 92-84.
In the absence of franchise stars Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, Brandan Wright emerged for the Grizzlies against the Sixers. Wright tallied 16 points and grabbed eight boards to star for Memphis.
Stepping up as well for the Grizzlies in their meeting with the 76ers were Andrew Harrison and JaMychal Green, who both came off the bench.
Harrison had 14 points, while Green added 11.
Up next
Simmons and the 76ers will have a two-game series with the Boston Celtics for their next assignment in the preseason. The first game is this Friday at the Wells Fargo Center. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, are going to be on the road again on October 9. They will meet the Atlanta Hawks before heading back to Memphis to close their preseason campaign with a two-game homestand.