Elliott and Stockton are an Embarrassment of Riches

[curiousspirit]

An article by Kelly Dwyer from SI.Com rates the television analysts for all NBA teams. Below is the excerpt for Sean Elliott and Dick Stockton. He gave them an "A" but I wouldn't read too much into it. He also rated some individual national analysts and gave both Hubie Brown and Bill Walton an "A+".
The link below is for the entire article.

Dick Stockton, Sean Elliott
Having both Stockton and Elliott call Spurs games is an embarrassment of riches for a local telecast, and though Stockton muffs a name here or there (notably calling Shawn Marion "Sean Elliott" several times in a game last month), he can be excused for the fact that he has called around 18 trillion sporting events in his professional career. Elliott provides solid, steady insight. Seemingly, he's either played with or against half the guys on the court, and he manages to balance a solid sense of humor with keen observations, all without being too showy.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...es3/index.html

[RichB]

Sean has improved immensley this season - he toned down the jokes and puns and gave us more insight. He still has a way to go - but he's a solid B+ this season.

Not perfect, but very, very solid.

[coyotes_geek]

Originally Posted by curiousspirit

He also rated some individual national analysts and gave both Hubie Brown and Bill Walton an "A+".

I've got no beef with that. No analyst knows the game better than Hubie and once you understand that Bill is there strictly to be full of B.S. then the fact that he is full of B.S. is pretty entertaining.

[curiousspirit]

I agree with that coyotes geek, though many people complained about Hubie and don't understand Bill Walton. I really enjoy Walton. Tonight, he all but announced the Pistons as the NBA Champs. All I could do was laugh.

[pjjrfan]

Dick Stockton is a legend. How we got him is a mystery to me, cause I know the guy isn't hurting for a job. He is still on the TNT line-up and he is still a Top NFL announcer. And I can remember him calling games from way back. Sean is just a brilliant personality that fits in well as an anylyst with just about anyone. I like both of them but I am more impressed that Stockton joined the Spurs team.

[omax]

Apparently we have been pretty lucky with our broadcasters.

Our current guys get an A. But previous spurs broadcasters such as Hubie and Joel Meyers got an A as well.

[bnwhuxley]

I'd give Hubie an A only. Walton gets an A+ * ducks under flying brick.
My favorite is Jim Barnett from the warriors for his knowledge. He knows every player's scouting report, knows what they do on offense and how to defend them. Every player. His assessment of fouls and no-calls is almost always spot on, and if he didn't see it properly or got it wrong on first look, he actually says so. Of course he knows the Warriors team very very well. To top it off he has great stories about his own playing days.

Warriors announcers got an A-

Barnett is one of my favorite color analysts, though I readily admit he is hardly the most accessible one out there. He deals in minutiae, of elbows under shooting wrists, the difference between an ankle sprain and an ankle tweak, right-handers who only drive left and lefties who can't drive at all. Ain't too hip, but I can dig it. Fitzgerald is a fine play-by-play guy. His man-crush on Mike Dunleavy Jr. is a little unnerving, but he's only human.

For non-expert color commentary, Mike Breen is excellent.

[Lord Deimos]

Hubie is a very good commentator.

... for the Pistons.

*waits for Carnac to start overturning tables*

[TheChillFactor]

Originally Posted by RichB

Sean has improved immensley this season - he toned down the jokes and puns and gave us more insight. He still has a way to go - but he's a solid B+ this season.

Not perfect, but very, very solid.

edit- i have nothing nice to say, so i'll keep it to myself.

[SpurInDallas]

Originally Posted by Lord Deimos

Hubie is a very good commentator.

... for the Pistons.

*waits for Carnac to start overturning tables*

Hubie in Game 5 of the Finals: "Oh no!"

[GM5K]

Originally Posted by coyotes_geek

I've got no beef with that. No analyst knows the game better than Hubie and once you understand that Bill is there strictly to be full of B.S. then the fact that he is full of B.S. is pretty entertaining.

waltons love and passion for the game is second to no one. ive never thought of his commentary as b.s. he has some hyperboles here and there,but i take him seriously a lot of the time.

[sahoopster]

Bill Land and Sean Elliot do most of the games, and I really enjoy there broadcasts. Sean is great imo, he is always cutting on the guys and I think that is hilarious and his insights into the game are great.

[Brooklyn Dave]

Sean Elliot does a wonderful job on TV. He is funny, friendly, insightful and a Spur. I still haven't gotten over his line a while back about Jake Tsakalidis not being able to jump over a New Braunfels phone book.

Dick Stockton is OK but he is really starting to make a lot of errors. You can't take his word on the score. Always best to actually look at the screen to get it yourself. Sometimes I wonder why Sean never corrects him but I guess he doesn't want to come off as being too critical. Bill Land is certainly more reliable.

[MrDeeds]

Originally Posted by TheChillFactor

edit- i have nothing nice to say, so i'll keep it to myself.

WTH does he know anyways?

[coyotes_geek]

Originally Posted by GM5K

waltons love and passion for the game is second to no one. ive never thought of his commentary as b.s. he has some hyperboles here and there,but i take him seriously a lot of the time.

I love Walton's enthusiasm as well. As for the hyperboles, we should all just remember that Bill killed more than a few brain cells back in the day and his long term memory is shot, thus in Bill's mind "the history of the game" is limited to 10 minutes ago. That's why whatever Bill just saw was the best thing he's ever seen and why whoever he's watching is one of the 5 best in the game today. By my calculations there are about 37 players in Bill's top 5.

[MrDeeds]

My favorite Bill Walton hyperbole(these are both when Horry was a Laker):

"Robert Horry is the greatest inbound passer in the history of basketball!"

or...

"Robert Horry...such composure, so clutch, what a great leader, what a talent, blah, blah, blah, wouldn't you just love to play with Robert Horry?"

Tom Tolbert: What?! No! I'd rather play with Shaq or Kobe!

[spurseye]

the best ever Walton Line...Spurs game about 10 years ago....after Carl Herrera, misses a free throw....."Granted your Carl Hererra, But C'mon your in the NBA"....i was rolling on the floor.

[Money4Nothing]

[Walton] Money4Nothing has got to be the greatest poster in the history of the internet. Such poise, such precision, such overwhelming awesomeness and coolness. How can hot latina chicks keep their hands off him? I know I wish I was a hot latina.[/Walton]

Yea! LoL!
$

[bossu]

Some of the funniest Walton moments are when he directs his "legendary" hyperbole toward players' physiques. Just this past season, he and Mike Tirico were calling a game that featured the Miami Heat. At one point in the game, during clock stoppage, the camera was focused on a sweating Dwyane Wade and Walton had this to say (paraphrasing):

"Look at Dwyane Wade... those shoulders... the physique... sculpted by Michaelangelo, as if in a dream."

The best part was when Mike Tirico was literally stunned into silence for all of four seconds. His next words were something about a player "stepping to the line to shoot two". My description just doesn't do the moment justice.

[SoutheastTexas]

[quote=Lord Deimos]Hubie is a very good commentator.

... for the Pistons.

Hubie is "very good" for the refs!

"Oh, oh. Great call. Oh, OH! Great call! OH!!! GREAT CALL!!!!"
I swear, the refs have to wipe his slobber off after every game. Nasuating.