It was perplexing last summer when ESPN fired NBA Finals game commentators Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, part of network layoffs that Disney makes every few years, similar to NFL teams cleaning up their books to make room for future millions of dollars in spending.
Taking a pay cut for Van Gundy especially didn't make sense because he was arguably the best game commentator in sports, with his gym-going ethos and “Inside the NBA” eccentricities.
In the wake of these moves, ESPN isn't as good as it used to be. With legendary play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, Hall of Famer Doris Burke and rising star JJ Redick, ESPN should in theory offer a great viewing experience, but building NBA Finals-level chemistry takes time.
That's not the case with Breen, Burke and Redick, and they've only been playing together for four months, so I don't think they're a team that can get out of the second round, but they will.
On Tuesday night, Breen, Burke and Redick will be in Boston to call the Eastern Conference finals before next month's main event, the NBA Finals. With the current team lacking humor and flow, and the future of ESPN's stable booth suddenly in jeopardy again, hopefully they'll acknowledge the Indiana Pacers in this series.
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On Sunday, ESPN broadcast Game 7 of the Pacers-New York Knicks series as a Knicks home game from start to finish, with “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith entering the arena as a player and giving a pregame pep talk for the Knicks. Throughout the game, Breen and company focused too much on the Knicks and not enough on the Pacers' greatest shooting performance of all time. ESPN came into its own on Friday with its coverage of Scottie Scheffler's arrest, but the contrast with the NBA's performance on Sunday was embarrassing.
How ESPN got here and where it's going to go are intriguing questions for the broadcasting industry, especially with the framework agreement for a new television contract with the NBA that will see the league's biggest events air on ESPN's stage for the next 12 years.
Breen, who turns 63 on Wednesday, continues to serve as the anchor, but in the playoffs he has too often tried to do it all on his own, not fully trusting his new teammates.
Breen may be able to lead the trio in the closing stages of close games with his familiar voice, but he's not elevating his partner's level. In assessing his own abilities, he comes across as more of a shot-oriented point guard, and he often does analysis as well as play-by-play commentary.
After Van Gundy and Jackson left, ESPN had a viable plan: Breen's close friend, Doc Rivers, was available to join the team after he was fired as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. Breen and Rivers would have seemed like a strong match.
ESPN top executives Jimmy Pitaro, Burke Magnus and David Roberts have already selected a successor for Burke, who will make history as the first female television commentator for championship games in the four traditional major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL). Roberts has also named potential successors, with Ryan Ruocco, Richard Jefferson and Redick named to the second team to one day call the finals.
The NBA didn't like Van Gundy's criticism of the officiating and complained to ESPN, but there's no evidence the league ordered him banned. One of ESPN's concerns, according to executives briefed on the decision-making, was that Van Gundy might return to coaching, a career he's had an interest in for years.
But while Van Gundy never left the network during his 16 seasons there, Rivers' tenure at ESPN was nearly as short as Bill Belichick's tenure as head coach of the NYJ.
Rivers, a former ESPN broadcaster, began working as a consultant for the Milwaukee Bucks in December before becoming the team's head coach in January, leaving the team in disgrace after giving ESPN a three-year contract.
The move came ahead of the All-Star break for Redick, who turns 40 in June. Redick has had a successful career in broadcasting, making millions as a podcaster and gambling spokesman, as well as through his work on games and in studios for ESPN.
But as evidenced by his latest endeavor, an in-game podcast with LeBron James, Redick's postgame enthusiasm may be more similar to Rivers', and his game analysis is more coachy than conversational.
After a brief stint with the Charlotte Hornets coaching job, Redick is the leading candidate to join James' Los Angeles Lakers. With Van Gundy's departure, ESPN now has a second analyst who can investigate the broadcast crimes Van Gundy has been accused of but did not commit. He will participate in conference calls with Breen and Burke until Redick leaves.
Breen, Burke and Reddick don't sound like they hate each other. They just don't finish each other's sentences. In fact, it feels like Burke and Reddick barely start their own sentences half the time. Breen is on a roll.
Breen, Van Gundy and Jackson have called 15 NBA Finals games together and have developed a comfort level with each other and the crowd. Breen's “Bang!” commands attention, and it's his signature forceful commentary, but it's the rhythm of his action and the right intonation that makes it stand out whenever something special happens during the 48-minute game.
If you close your eyes and listen to the emotion in Breen's calls, you can tell how excited he is about a play on a scale of 1 to 10. That's why ESPN is fine when it matters.
Van Gundy and Jackson will be missed when Booth needs to shine or during blowout victory moments.
Jackson was far from perfect — he somehow kept Nikola Jokic off the All-Star ballot last year — but he had his tricks up his sleeve, most famously “Here he goes, Mom!” — and he could make 3-pointers off of Breen or Van Gundy.
But Van Gundy's firing was puzzling because, behind the headset, he was always in a position where he combined sharp analysis, a willingness to say anything and good humor.
Van Gundy has moved on and is now a senior consultant for the Boston Celtics, and ESPN is still paying him. Maybe they'll ask him to come back for a series or two.
(Top photo of J.J. Redick, Doris Burke and Mike Breen: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)