Crazy to me they dumped Lowe while the likes of Perkins keep their jobs. And after Woj retired + Reddick left (I think Reddick is a smug guy but you can?t deny he was another reasonable analyst in that role)
So is the NBA coverage basically SAS, Perkins, Jefferson and the NBA countdown crew? Big yikes
Their business is not about delivering good analysis. It is about getting fan engagement with their content. Perk is one of the best in the business at creating fan engagement with their content. SAS over the last 15-20 years has been their best which is why he always survives whereas many others have lost their job.
It is a bit like those youtube algorhythms. They do not try to find you the most personalized content you would enjoy but instead the content you will most engage with which tends to be content that makes you angry. Angry viewers spend more hours on youtube than happy viewers. They make more money.
ESPN's analyst are in the business of fan engagement. How much is the video shared. Talked about. Commented on. It is not about how good the analysis it. It is about how viral the segment is.
Perk understand this and does it well. He knows the business and what they want from him.