As you know by now, fan and media opinions regarding Ben Simmons are split. He’s the most polarizing player in contemporary Philly sports, and maybe even nationwide, because the variety of opinions you hear about him are all over the place. There is just an insane amount of variance and fluctuation on the Simmons spectrum.

One guy on the far end is Washington Wizards color commentator Justin Kutcher, who went in hard on Simmons Friday night, calling him one of the most overrated players in the NBA:

“I think Ben Simmons is one of, if not the most, overrated players in the NBA. And he’s gotten so much love and attention, that people aren’t paying attention to what Tobias Harris is actually doing on the floor.”  

This is kind of strange because the thoughts aren’t mutually exclusive. Sure, you could say that maybe Harris should have gone to the All Star Game over Simmons, but both have been damn good this year, which is why the Sixers are in first place in the East. Obviously the coaches and players are high on Simmons and recognize his skill as a passer, defender, and offensive metronome.

Simmons wasn’t playing on Friday night due to quarantine, so he found a picture of Kutcher and shared this on Instagram:

Not sure about the robe and Nike slides combo. We’ll have to get Karl Lagerfeld in here to rule on that fashion choice.

But anyway, Kutcher stuck to his guns and doubled down on his original take:

Everybody is entitled to their opinion. He could have mentioned the DPOY potential during his original comments, and maybe they would have been received as fair, but you can be good while also being overrated at the same time. That is, indeed, the heart of the issue with Simmons.

Ben was asked about this on Sunday night, after the Spurs game, because it was the first time he was available to the media since the original comments were made:

“He’s like a 5’5″ commentator for the Wizards.” 

Now that’s pretty good. Of course everybody is going to be considered short compared to a pro basketball player, but when you hit ’em with a height joke, sometimes that stings. And look, Earl Boykins was 5’5″ and enjoyed a decade-long NBA career, so height does not always inhibit us from succeeding.

Let’s finish this one off with a poll. Whose side are you taking in this WAR OF WORDS? –

Justin Kutcher vs. Ben Simmons, pick a side