ESPN’s Terrible Draft Coverage

[Prestige]

There was a lot of grumbling on twitter about ESPN’s draft coverage. Some points brought up:

-Obsession with Bronny storyline
-Too much focus on players and families emotions
-Too many commercials/Commercials during 2nd round picks (what’s the point of splitting into 2 days the ?)
-Stephen A and RJ lack of knowledge and professionalism regarding some teams
-Too much joking/lame jokes

Did anybody feel these points were accurate? Disagree?

[miamiheat319]

to me, the whole televised draft how they have it now feels very antiquated.

- shams/woj announce the picks in advance anyways
- wayyy too much time is spent in between picks, which means the commentators have too much time to fill. once it says "pick is in" the commissioner should come out. but this isn't new, it's been going on since i started watching the draft
- these commentators were bad. i think malika works better as a #2 instead of the host and RJ maybe as a #3/kenny role if he's gonna be on there at all. i don't know who the other girl was but it felt like they just needed a ring leader. it's bad when i can go on youtube and find at least three streams with better, more knowledgeable commentators
- other little things like mispronouncing names/not knowing geography of the players you're paid to talk about. it's just little stuff like that that shows no one cares

i watched less of this year's draft than i ever have so those are just things i picked up on

[Sealab2024]

Here's the thing you have to understand, ESPN no longer. Caters to sports fans. They already know they have us because we'll always watch the games and follow the sport. They are out on trying to appeal to us. Who they are trying to pull in are quasi sports fans who prefer pop culture coverage and mostly watch playoff games if their team is in it. They add numbers, sell advertising, etc. Everything ESPN does is for them.

Once you accept that, their coverage makes perfect sense.

[flranger]

The draft coverage was the same as the NBA playoff coverage which was the same as the NBA season coverage

Same agenda
Same personalities
Same commercials
Same network

NBA on ESPN flat sucks, from opening game to the draft and all analysis

[Statlanta]

I didn't watch the draft or partake in the GB thread for the same reasons. I'm OK with Stephen A. not knowing the draft players as he's the Charles Barkley level entertainment, but both Malika and RJ can't be on that level.

Also having Woj is redundant if he's going to spoil the picks while on air. What is he there to do?

[sp6r=underrated]

Old Man Shouting at Clouds Rant

Why do fans watch the draft? Most NBA fans do not follow college ball and the vast majority do not follow European leagues. We have no idea who these players are.

[mkot]

Some youtube channels offer better scouting report on players and teams

[JustBuzzin]

Screaming A literally knew nothing about this draft. Dude was there just to scream and be entertaining.

ESPN has really went downhill since the social media era. I remember back when they legit discussed all sports teams and topics back in the early 2000's.

Now it's about whatever is trending on social media. Lakers and Cowboys.

[azcatz11]

The 2nd round was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. Whoever thought the studio approach was a good idea should be fired immediately. It looked like a budget version of the WNBA draft.

[SFrush]

Atleast Kendrick Perkins wasn't there. That was the only silver lining.

[meekrab]

Draft coverage breaks the #1 rule of covering a live event, don't tell the audience what's going to happen and they have been for years.

It was super cringe having teams make draft picks and Woj going "Oh they're trading this pick to such and such" and then 45 minutes later the commish is like "We have a trade to announce!"

[Infinite Llamas]

Having those families sitting at the tables during the second round looked like a YMCA banquet/trophy presentation or something.

The whole thing just looked like a high school drama club trying to put on a performance of an NBA draft.

Amazingly every guy picked in the second round were guys that “every team needed”……except no team literally wanted to use a first round pick on these guys.

[kenwood3333]

A terrible draft deserves a terrible coverage

[Lalouie]

they're trying to put on a show. basically they're competing against the nfl,,,,which they can't. the important parts of a basketball draft ends after the 3rd or 4th pick, so it's all filler

and how much can they say about foreign players of whom they know nothing but what's written on the prompter. and their audience doesn't care either

so basically they have nothing to work with
they can't have people associated with the teams on the show. you know that. they can add someone like legler but he knows jack about college and teenagers....and like it or not these nba draft shows ARE ALL ABOUT teenagers. that's what it's come down to. so i'll ask,,,does anyone here care about teenagers.

i'll give you a what if. what if lebron and all these 1dones went to school, and built a stunning college career, AND THEN entered the draft. how do you think these drafts would roll out?

the nba has situated itself in an untenable position in trying to make a meal out of a can of creamed corn

[Lalouie]

The 2nd round was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. Whoever thought the studio approach was a good idea should be fired immediately. It looked like a budget version of the WNBA draft.

but you were happy when it came to nepobronny, yes?

[DuallyNoted]

i was drunk at a beach with a fat chick and even she probably knew that ESPN sucks

[CDM_Stats]

NBA media will be so much better once Stephen A Smith is no longer involved. Do New Yorkers even like that guy?

[Dan33185]

Thing is, someone will always find something to complain about...literally about everything.

[ropjhk]

blame disney

[jbk1234]

RJ is really the only one who does any research, and he apparently taps out after the top 40 (which is understandable). ESPN paid a whole bunch of money for those exclusive rights, and they're going to have to better when it comes to staffing.