In their first meeting since he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid made quick work of Ben Simmons.
The 76ers defeated the Nets 137-133 on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center to improve to 31-16 on the season. Brooklyn dropped to 29-18 with the loss.
Embiid, unsurprisingly, was the best player on the court for Philadelphia, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 35 minutes. He made six of 18 shots from the floor and one of five shots from deep.
Simmons, who sat most of the fourth quarter, was essentially an offensive non-factor for the Nets as he finished with 12 points and five assists on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor. He also finished with five rebounds and one block.
After the game, 76ers fans and NBA Twitter were quick to roast Simmons in his return to Philly:
Simmons is far from the player he once was, and it's clear sitting out the entire 2021-22 season had a huge impact on his career. The 26-year-old entered Wednesday's game averaging just 7.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 35 games while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor.
If the Nets are going to contend with the likes of the 76ers, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks for the Eastern Conference crown, they're going to need Simmons to be a whole lot better, though that seems like a lost cause at this point.