Tell us how you really feel, Justin Kutcher. The Washington Wizards play-by-play announcer attempted to shine praise on the silent third of the Philadelphia 76ers’ big three, Tobias Harris. However, Kutcher took a swipe at All-Star Ben Simmons in the process.
“I said it before, and I know I’ll take flack for it…I think Ben Simmons is one of, if not the most overrated players in the NBA,” Kutcher pronounced during the Wizards-76ers broadcast Friday night. “And he has gotten so much love and attention that people aren’t paying attention to what Tobias Harris is actually doing on the floor.”
Fellow Wizards announcer and teammate Drew Gooden replied by whistling. Kutcher is right, Simmons — and 76ers center Joel Embiid — overshadow Harris a lot.
Despite averaging at least 18.2 points per game in each season since the 2017-18 season, Harris has yet to be named to an NBA All-Star Game. Certainly he has been unfairly overlooked. However, to say Simmons is overrated in making a case for Harris is a stretch.
NBA analyst and former player Kendrick Perkins didn’t agree with Kutcher’s assessment of Simmons.
Simmons is a three-time All-Star and former NBA Rookie of the Year. This season he is averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game while shooting 57.8% from the field. That’s although he is a notoriously bad and reluctant three-point shooter. Not to mention, he was All-Defensive Team in 2020 and a Defensive Player of the Year candidate this season.
Hopefully, Harris will start to get the shine he deserves while in Philadelphia. Harris will be an integral part of the 76ers’ success as they vie for an NBA title. But he will be so alongside Embiid and Simmons.
