A lot of digital ink has been spent over the last month talking about ESPN’s NBA coverage and how it has fallen well short of the mark. That extended from the NBA Finals to the NBA Draft last night, where ESPN split coverage between two separate broadcasts on ESPN and ABC.
The split NBA Draft presentations from ESPN follow the network’s approach to the NFL Draft, where ESPN’s coverage is more NFL-centric and focused on Xs and Os, while the ABC broadcast features the stars of College GameDay and focuses more on the human side of the story. For an event as big as the NFL Draft with as many storylines as there are from the college and pro perspective, it works.
For the NBA Draft, it really doesn’t. Most players are one-and-done and lack the same connection with fans that college football stars do. Additionally, ESPN just doesn’t have the depth on the basketball side to carry two distinct broadcasts. And the choice to split Kendrick Perkins and Stephen A. Smith led to criticism from the likes of Bill Simmons, who found that it was a no-win proposition.
But instead of focusing on the negatives, let’s be proactive instead of reactive. It worked with getting NBA Finals introductions back at least, right? If we were in charge of ESPN for a day, this is the NBA Draft crew we would put together.
Host: Malika Andrews
Andrews is the face of ESPN’s daily NBA studio coverage and does a fine job hosting no matter the situation. There’s no reason why the network should have anyone else in this role, even if Colin Cowherd gets the odd shoutout.
College Basketball Analysts: Jay Bilas and Andraya Carter
Bilas and Carter have been great additions to ESPN’s draft coverage. They are both tuned in to the pro and college games and have built chemistry after working together on College GameDay. Carter is a television natural who connects with viewers and relates well. And Bilas is the best ESPN has when it comes to college basketball analysis. The fact that he’s added NBA work to his regular portfolio makes him a perfect fit for draft night.
Front Office Analyst: Bob Myers
If there’s anyone working at ESPN who should be an automatic choice for the NBA Draft, it’s the front office executive who built the Golden State Warriors dynasty. But it seems that ever since Myers joined ESPN, he has been miscast either as a game analyst or sitting between Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins. If ESPN let him cook in the area that he knows best, we would probably see a whole new side of him.
NBA Analyst: Brian Windhorst
Say what you want about Bill Simmons as a television basketball analyst, but the NBA Draft was always where he was at his best. Draft night needs someone with a bit of personality, but most importantly, someone who is well-connected and can offer a bit of extra insight into what the picks and moves mean in the big picture. That’s where Brian Windhorst would fit in perfectly in this setup.
Reporters: Monica McNutt, Shams Charania, Fran Fraschilla
Monica McNutt pulled double duty, interviewing draft picks on ESPN and ABC, and showed that she has great versatility. Shams Charania filled the shoes of Adrian Wojnarowski admirably with his reports on the trades that went down in the first round. And while Jonathan Givony did fine going in-depth, filling in the gaps for some of the international picks, no one did it quite like ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla.
If ESPN put forward this team for the NBA Draft, hopefully, fans would feel engaged, informed, and entertained instead of feeling like they had to change the channel.
About Matt Yoder