Ranking the Four Candidates for ESPN's NBA Finals Broadcast Crew
By Joe Lago
JJ Redick's hiring by the Los Angeles Lakers elevated him from broadcaster/podcaster to NBA head coach. It also created an opening on ESPN's top NBA broadcast crew.
On Friday, The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported that the network is taking steps toward filling that job opening. ESPN is considering four candidates to take Redick's spot next to play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and trailblazing analyst Doris Burke — Jay Bilas, Grant Hill, Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler.
Each candidate has varying levels of basketball broadcast expertise. Each would bring something different to a three-person booth with the professorial Breen and the astute Burke.
So let's rank each candidate, gauging the pros and cons, in an attempt to determine who would be the best fit.
4. Jay Bilas
He's not the only former Duke star under consideration. The 60-year-old does a solid job breaking down the action on men's college basketball broadcasts as ESPN's No. 1 analyst, and he has become a fixture on its NBA Draft coverage. Unlike the other three candidates, though, Bilas never played in the NBA, and that seems to be a sticking point. He is very much a long shot to get the gig, according to The Athletic.
3. Grant Hill
The 51-year-old Hill is the other Dukie in contention. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer is on CBS' top broadcasting crew for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery, and he has shown the willingness to have fun on-air (or maybe that's a by-product of working with the gregarious Raftery). However, Hill is much better in a two-person booth where he doesn't have to take a backseat to a bigger personality.
2. Tim Legler
The 1996 NBA 3-Point Contest winner has long been one of ESPN's best analysts — in any sport — but he only appeared during the season as an in-studio "SportsCenter" guest, most notably with Scott Van Pelt. Legler chose the limited role to have a normal home life, but now he's ready for a larger presence. The 57-year-old would work well with Breen and Burke, and even if he doesn't get the job, ESPN should increase his profile on NBA. He's that good.
1. Richard Jefferson
The 44-year-old Jefferson would provide what the other three candidates lack — energy. With Breen and Burke, Jefferson's personality would liven up the booth, although there could be the occasional meanderings on tangents. Still, the NBA champion can draw from a career that saw him play for eight teams across 17 seasons. Last time, he lost out to Redick for the No. 1 crew. This time, he should be the easy choice.