[SI] NBA roundtable: Debating analysts, Bill Simmons and more

There is some great stuff here and I agree with a lot of it (is it just me or does Dwyer generally not like ESPN?).

There is some extension of what we saw in the Magic vs Simmons thread. Fans now have access to every single NBA game and so much data/analysis on the internet as well. Fans have become more nuanced. It becomes a painful experience watching some ex-players (like Magic) when it's clear that you have watched more of the NBA this year. Furthermore, fans now have some idea of how the salary cap works which is something that's not really talked about in broadcasts.

Current television pre-game shows cater to the casual fan. The TNT show is fine because the personalities are so interesting that it works. No serious fan actually watches the TNT show for basketball analysis. It is great because its a fun casual show based on banter.

It will be fascinating to see what direction future shows will go in. Will they start to cater to fans like us who watch a ton of basketball and also try our best to create an informed opinion? Or will they just attempt to cater to casual fans by talking about the Lakers/Lebron/Durant?

The constant Lakers coverage is safe. It draws in certain ratings and it is always easy to talk about them. However, I believe it holds the NBA back. Casual fans aren't really exposed to the different things that teams are doing. They have no idea why certain trades are made. They don't know why the Pacers are successful apart from "the grind it out style." By talking about more than what will Kobe do, the NBA can perhaps push fans into broadening their perspective.

 

I have a big problem with Jon Barry. He's so unbearably cynical and puts a big gloomy cloud over any game he commentates. Ruins the experience for me always.

 

Kelly Dwyer is the #1 JVG hater.

 

His bitterness reminds me of his dad, who is famous for being a Hall of Famer and an *******.

 

You make fair points. However, you need to step back and ask yourself what % of viewers actually watch all of the games, as you've described. Not everyone has that kind of time or interest.

Although some of us watch a lot of basketball and analysis (most of us on Clutchfans) everyone else watching the broadcast is just watching to see a basketball game and might not be able to name anyone outside of the starting lineup.

It pains me to say this but Clutchfans is the bourgeoisie of NBA fans. That guy at work who bashes the Rockets and claims to be a Heat fan, he's the proletariat.

 

Those are fair points. It sounds extremely weird to call Clutchfans the bourgeoisie of anything to me though heh. I think the NBA needs to broaden what they promote. Those 30 minute segments hold so much power in terms of what the casual fan sees.

It isn't easy to strike the right balance but I just want them to try. I'm not talking about bringing up RAPM or how the 8th man on the roster is changing everything. But maybe htey can focus on different elite defenses and show highlights of what makes them so good. Or different offenses. Under the radar fun players. Or promote the random ridiculous performances that happen every once in a while.

Just to get the casual fan thinking, "Oh, there are other teams and players in the NBA. That block seemed cool. The way Tony Allen gets in people's faces seemed fun. Wonder who else plays good defense?"

 

TOTALLY AGREE

Secondly, i'm not a tnt barkley/Kenny fan but I understand the appeal after reading dwyer's analysis. they are average folks talking to average folks who don't need a lot of detailed information.

 

Two things made me write Jon Barry off a couple of years ago:

.1. He made comments about a team and a couple of players during a game that showed he was completely ignorant. He embarrassed himself. At the time, it was clear he didn't watch much NBA basketball except the ones he covered.

.2. His hatred of the Miami Heat. I say this as someone who wanted them to lose in the worst way. When you are a commentator and your bias is that extreme, you are worthless.

 

hard to know if appealing to more knowledgeable fans would improve ratings

 

I don't normally like Dwyer's work, but he was on the money about this.

 

Perhaps. But they've got to try something. And I'm not talking about talking about every in depth statistic or shot charts or the value of a mid range jumper.

I just want some expansion to mention other teams in the league. If Magic was on the ESPN show this year, the Lakers would be talked about more than any other team in the West again. And that makes me sad.

 

Kelly Dwyer needs to cut this siht out.

Right now people think I'm bad at my job but I give good hustle good effort. But if it is found out that I'm bad at my job because of the Twitter/rumor thing and because I spend too much time dumping data into an Excel spreadsheet and spending 3 hours attempting to come up with my own master stat formula before saying f**k it and deleting the whole thing, I don't think my countless superiors would appreciate it.

 

Lol at anyone picking nubile brown as the best analyst

 

Haha, my ad autocorrects hilariously apparently

 

hubie brown is hands down the best analyst. he's a former successful coach who is clear and coherent. He's older, he's seen a lot. he's like dr. jack ramsey.

 

It's a joke, pal.

And I love a ton of stuff that ESPN does, nobody should take this any other way. I didn't watch the old version of NBA Countdown much, but I spent a huge bulk of that interview crediting their broadcast teams and how great and well suited Bill Simmons is for this gig.

 

Don't think Haymitch was serious either. From what I can tell, he almost never is (not a bad thing).