Anyone else enjoy Jeff Van Gundy's commentary last night?

[Redz]

Is this Breen announcing in Bedazzled?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKwLcpN5iTE

Seriously.  It reminds me of him a bit...

[crownsy]

another tidbit i agree with, after ray passed up an open three to pass to a covered rondo;

either MJ or breen: see, ray allen with confidance buries that shot, but he passes here because he's having trouble finding the range:

JVG: If im doc rivers, im calling him aside next time out and saying, i'm never going to pull you for shooting, your one of the best pure shooters to ever play, but if you ever pass up an open three like that again, i will sit you for the rest of the half. Your our shooter, shoot.

i couldn't agree more with his assesment of that particular play by ray. Ray has to keep shooting, he needs to find the range.

[GroverTheClover]

I'm really starting to love JVG as a commentator. He's very frank and calls it as he sees it. He's markedly differently from Breen (who I don't care for) and Stockton who push the "NBA Hype Machine" thing a bit too much. For instance, the "No regard for human life!" quote by Stockton was quite possibly the most asinine thing I have ever heard on TV. For ****, it was a freakin' dunk.

That line has been a Kevin Harlan standard (he's the one who called the LBJ dunk as well; that wasn't Stockton) for a long time.  I've gotten the sense that a lot of Celts fans have kind of "taken it personally" as though it was more media-lovin' of LeBron than anything else.  It isn't.  Harlan has long been known for his over the top calls, and he's also a big proponent of "sucked the gravity right out of the building."  I'm not looking to advocate or hate on the extra enthusiasm (although personally I like Harlan); just pointing out that this wasn't unique to the LBJ play.

-sw

It's not that I've taken it personally. It's over-the-top quotes like that bring the NBA down to the level of WWE announcing. I'll be the first to admit it was a great play, but screaming incoherent nonsense to capture our attention/describe a play is exactly what I don't care for.

[Steve Weinman]

Can someone please explain why Mike Breen is the top announcer in the game? I know SImmons loves him.I cant' stand him.

I can't stand him. He takes the refs sides on a lot of calls(clearly, he is wrong 85% of the time).

Give me Marv ALbert, Dick Stockton(he cant remember players names half the time and I still enjoy him more than Breen). Mike Gorman, Kevin Harlon. Gus johnson. Musberger.

I'll take any of these guys over Breen.

Breen saying Hamilton wasnt that type of player shows his lack of knowledge.
Hamilton and Michael Redd were both tossed out of game a few years ago for getting into it. in fact, Hamilton has gotten into it with a few shooting guards over the years.

Knows the game fairly well in general. 

Fairly even-keel tone -- but knows just how to raise his excitement level in big moments.

Best catchphrase ever: "Bang!"

Always seems to have outstanding chemistry with whoever he works with -- Walt, Van Gundy, Jax, in past years Hubie as well.

Does an excellent job of maintaining a 'personality' on the air while still serving mostly as a facilitator for his analysts; plays the "straight man" role very well in his pairings with Walt and JVG/Jax.

For the most part (though he has had a few slip-ups lately), actually tells you what's going on on the floor.  Seems elementary, I know, but folks like Stockton aren't capable of this.

I'm not sure what the complaint about his agreement with the refs is and where your comment about being "wrong 85% of the time" comes from.  Yes, the officiating has been shoddy at certain times during these playoffs, but truth be told, these guys have an incredibly difficult job, and far more often than we give them credit for, they get it right.  Personally, I've had plenty of occasions over the last few years on which I opened my mouth to scream at my television about the officiating on first view, only to find via replay that they had the call correctly.  These guys are professionals, and for all the Tim Donaghys and Vi Palmers of the world, they do their job well enough.  We hear about the big ones that are blown but never all the calls throughout the course of a game that they handle just as they should.  I'm not sure it's fair to kill Breen for not holding the anti-ref sentiments so clearly held by folks such as JVG and Tommy.

Finally, he's as fair a 'team announcer' as I've come across, always doing a very objective job in assessing the Knicks.  It's a wonder James Dolan still employs the guy on that account.

Hope that helps.

-sw

[Schupac]

[/quote]

Sorry but any tandem that has Coach Hubie Brown a part of it, to me, is the best tandem when it comes to calling a basketball game.  I learn some much about the game everytime I watch a game that coach Brown calls. I think he is great and he not only tells it like it is, he teaches you the game as you watch it.
[/quote]

Ironically, that's exactly why I don't like Hubie.  Sometimes he'll go off for 2-3 minutes on a lesson.  That's not what I want.  I want him to discuss the game, not basketball essentials.

Don't get me wrong, his information is spot on.  But he's not there to teach people watching the basics of the sport.  He's there to discuss the flow of the particular game he is watching.  I just get tired of it.

JVG is fast becoming one of my favorites.  He just says what he thinks.  I can't stand all the NBA's "company guys" that just agree, agree, agree with the refs and make excuses for whatever star messes up.  JVG is honest.

[Tommy]

I've said it before, and I'll put it forth again: This broadcast team is second in basketball only to MSG's tandem of Breen and Walt Frazier.

Breen and JVG are absolutely great.  Whether or not you like Jax's analysis (for the most part, I'm no booster), he only adds to the chemistry and rapport the group has as a unit -- and there's something to be said for that.

-sw

Sorry but any tandem that has Coach Hubie Brown a part of it, to me, is the best tandem when it comes to calling a basketball game.  I learn some much about the game everytime I watch a game that coach Brown calls. I think he is great and he not only tells it like it is, he teaches you the game as you watch it.

wow, i hate it when Hubie Brown announces a game. as the poster above me he doesn't really commentate on the game, rather about how certain plays in the game are methods of basketball, thus resulting in a 5 minute rant about " the 2-3 zone " or the "basics of the pick and roll" if someone claims to watch every game of the season and does not know what a pick and roll is, they should not be allowed to watch basketball. Hubie Brown is there to be a color commentator on the game, not to preach the fundamentals of basketball.

[Tommy]

I've said it before, and I'll put it forth again: This broadcast team is second in basketball only to MSG's tandem of Breen and Walt Frazier.

Breen and JVG are absolutely great.  Whether or not you like Jax's analysis (for the most part, I'm no booster), he only adds to the chemistry and rapport the group has as a unit -- and there's something to be said for that.

-sw

so you would take both of these broadcast teams over our very own Mike and Tommy? I think Mike Gorman is the best play by ply guy in the league. We all know tommy is a homer, but his color commentary is unmatched, especially since he is more knowledgeable about the game of basketball than anyone else i can think of.

i have never heard the MSG crew, and they sound like they should do a very nice job, but I find it hard to believe that you value them about Mike and Tommy.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I've said it before, and I'll put it forth again: This broadcast team is second in basketball only to MSG's tandem of Breen and Walt Frazier.

Breen and JVG are absolutely great.  Whether or not you like Jax's analysis (for the most part, I'm no booster), he only adds to the chemistry and rapport the group has as a unit -- and there's something to be said for that.

-sw

so you would take both of these broadcast teams over our very own Mike and Tommy? I think Mike Gorman is the best play by ply guy in the league. We all know tommy is a homer, but his color commentary is unmatched, especially since he is more knowledgeable about the game of basketball than anyone else i can think of.

i have never heard the MSG crew, and they sound like they should do a very nice job, but I find it hard to believe that you value them about Mike and Tommy.

I've had to watch the games on League Pass, so I saw the MSG crew a couple of times... and Walt Frazier is great.


My only problem with Tommy is that he can be hard to listen to when we've had bad teams because his homerism was illogical.  I hated him coming into this season, but loved him this year.

[bostonfan23]

i've come to love JVG.

[Frontierboy]

I've always liked JVG..... I always crack up at his humor and tell-it-like-it-is comments.....

Like in the Denver/lakers series, after halftime, George Karl was telling his team to do what thy have been doing all season on defense....

And JVG commented " What he should have said was do what you don't do on defense"

Ahahaha, classic......

I wish JVG were our coach.....He'd know how to coach our team to ge the best out of everyone

[jay_jay54]

I'm really starting to love JVG as a commentator. He's very frank and calls it as he sees it. He's markedly differently from Breen (who I don't care for) and Stockton who push the "NBA Hype Machine" thing a bit too much. For instance, the "No regard for human life!" quote by Stockton was quite possibly the most asinine thing I have ever heard on TV. For ****, it was a freakin' dunk.

JVG seems natural and doesn't force anything. I like him for his cajones to call out the terrible officiating and provides some actual insight. I think Mark Jackson works well with JVG and they seem to have a good dynamic.

I agree with you here on JVG and M.Jackson being pretty good,and if we were basing this on the technical aspects only of calling a game,Breen is the one of the best also...good voice quality,great timing,and solid play by play skills,but thats not all required for the job.Sometimes Breen can be a bit negative and bias towards Celtic players,like in the Cavs vs Celtic game 7,Breen said,"for Pierce this is a game to show his Celtic legacy,in terms of being one of the great all-time Celtics.He needs to come up big aganist LB in this game to make it happen".M.Jackson came to Pierce defense,and stated that PP  jersey number will be hanging up in the rafters,here one day.His Celtic legacy is already there.It doesn't rely on a game 7 aganist Lebron James."..Breen also seem a bit negative towards House,in his not being a true pg,and kind of gave it to Doc about starting House over Cassell.He always back up his statements,with it came from critics,media,but after awhile,you figure out who the real critic is.However,for the reasons i gave in the beginning,technical alone,he is one of the best in the game today.

[BudweiserCeltic]

The thing about Breen though, is that I think his main role is to bring forward the voice of "people" forward... of course, he injects his opinions here and there, but for the most part he has to paint a picture, a story in regards how the nation feels about something. He then acts as a facillitator, to move the conversation forward and get responses from the experts... being JVG and Jackson.

So Breen might've said all that, but it doesn't mean it's really always his opinion... he's there to ask the questions, paint a story, and be the voice of what the populace feels is the case.  He's like an interviewer, if you want to make the comparison.

[jay_jay54]

The thing about Breen though, is that I think his main role is to bring forward the voice of "people" forward... of course, he injects his opinions here and there, but for the most part he has to paint a picture, a story in regards how the nation feels about something. He then acts as a facillitator, to move the conversation forward and get responses from the experts... being JVG and Jackson.

So Breen might've said all that, but it doesn't mean it's really always his opinion... he's there to ask the questions, paint a story, and be the voice of what the populace feels is the case.  He's like an interviewer, if you want to make the comparison.

I here what you saying here Bud,but i don' think in this situation,especially PP, was someone else's opinion,or a question.He was making a personal statement,in regards to Paul Pierce.

[Cman]

I liked it when he flip flopped on Pierce's number being retired.  During the Spurs home game earlier this season he said Pierce had to do more to get his number in the rafters.  Last night he admitted he had said that and said he was dead wrong, Pierce's number will be retired with ease.  Most guys would just pretend they never said that, nevermind call themselves out.  JVG has no ego.  He's become my favorite national color analyst for any sport.

Yes, I do enjoy JVG's commentary and I particularly liked the retake he did on PP that you mention above.  Looking forward to hearing more from JVG..... and also looking forward to a Cs win on the road (by the way, Game 3 is not a "must win game" just like Game 6 in Cleveland was not a must win game.....).

[Redz]

Van Gundy's line of the night was something along the lines of: "Our friends at TNT, what is that?  This is playoffs.  There are no friends.  They're our competition, I wanna do better than Doug Collins..."