Wizards announcer took petty shot at Ben Simmons

Washington Wizards play-by-play announcer Justin Kutcher woke up on Friday and chose violence.

During the Wizards’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Kutcher took a petty shot, seemingly out of the blue, at Sixers star Ben Simmons.

I’m gonna need y’all to listen to this pic.twitter.com/3XLaNBypkp

— BEAN (@MGRADS) March 13, 2021

“I’ve said it before, I know I’ll take flak for it,” said Kutcher. “I think Ben Simmons is one of, if not the most, overrated players in the NBA. He’s gotten so much love and attention that people aren’t paying attention to what [Sixers teammate] Tobias Harris is actually doing on the floor.”

Kutcher later doubled down on his stance in a tweet after the game.

Yep, I said that Ben Simmons is one of the most overrated plyrs in the NBA, and I stand by it. I didn’t say he was BAD, just not as good as everyone makes him out to be. GREAT defender, potential DPOY, but I think he’s made All League/All Star Teams based on hype. And..goodnight

— Justin Kutcher (@JustinKutcher) March 13, 2021

Kutcher’s take on Simmons, a three-time All-Star, is a bit suspect. The 24-year-old is a world-class defender, which Kutcher acknowledges, and has a blend of size, athleticism, and court vision that is very rare to come by. If anything, Simmons might actually be a tad underrated because critics so often focus on his jump-shooting deficiencies. Furthermore, the Sixers were swept out of the first round last year when Simmons was injured while Harris and Joel Embiid ran the show.

Simmons sometimes provides reasons for people to dislike him. But coming at him strictly for his performance on the court does not seem like the move.