Watching game three between the New Orleans Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs last night, something just wasn’t right about ESPN’s television broadcast team, and it was Doris Burke.

picture from sidelinehotties.com

Now I don’t necessarily have a problem with Doris herself, nor do I have much of an issue with her partner, Dan Shulman (Vital panderer). Burke’s analysis? Meh….it’s okay (we’ll get to that later)….She obviously has basketball experience, as she played and coached at Providence. But it’s her voice. The higher pitch just doesn’t sound right doing the color commentary for an NBA game. I’d say that same thing if it were a man with an intolerable voice. In fact, I’ll point out Reggie Miller right now….old Pacer #31 actually sounds worse than Doris.

Ok….that’s just the sound. I should get over it, right? A consensus is already building that Reggie Miller lacks what it takes to be a good color person. What about Doris? In the past, her analysis has seemed adequate….nothing stood out one way or the other.

But last night’s game…..it was say, in the 2nd quarter, and David West just got finished hitting a mid-range baseline jumper from around 12 feet.

Doris’ comments were to the effect that West’s mid-range shot was something he developed after entering the league. She watched him play a lot at Xavier and his offensive game did not extend too much past the four foot range.

Wait a minute? I saw David West a bunch in college too, only live once though. But he had all sorts of mid-range game back in those days. Yea, he was dominant inside as he shot 53.1% from the field for his four year career. West did not shoot a lot of 3s, only 18-55 for his career (didn’t take any his freshman year and took and missed one his soph year). But his mid-range game, along with lack of size and quickness, is why many scouts called him a tweener.

But that’s just my recollection and a couple stats. What does West’s college scouting report say?

Let’s visit our friends at NBADraft.net for David West’s profile, written by Matthew Maurer:

“Shoots the ball with great touch and has decent range.” [1st paragraph]
and
“Has an assortment of back to the basket moves, from pump fakes to the short turnaround jumper … Has range on his jumper out to 18 feet.” [3rd paragraph]

What about David West’s NBA.com 2003 Draft profile?

“Can score both with his back to the basket and also facing the basket from out to 18 feet.”

Well, I’m satisfied….Doris Burke was wrong about David West. We all make mistakes, but please don’t claim you saw him play a lot in college and then get the scouting report completely wrong.

Later, in the final minutes of the 3rd quarter, when Chris Paul hit an amazing spinning reverse flip shot…go ahead and watch.

Doris Burke called the move Jordan-esque. C’mon lady, really? We have to compare every shot like that to Michael Jordan now? That is the most out-of-the-box comment about an amazing shot that one can make. I would understand if Paul hung in the air like MJ, but he didn’t. I would’ve rather Doris stay with the simple ‘circus shot’ comment.

Doris, please do us all a favor and stick to WNBA games.

[Update: Perhaps my criticism of Doris Burke...mainly that last sentence......was a little harsh. But as I stated in the comments section, I could not sacrifice my memory of David West in college. Nonetheless, the New York Times has recently given Doris Burke some props....good read.]

Other Bad Coverage from ESPN:

Mike & Mike
I used to take issue with the lack of NBA coverage from ESPN Radio’s morning duo. Now I take that back, I’d rather them not cover NBA basketball at all. Golic is clearing reading from notes someone has given him….today’s analysis was that the Spurs “ran the Hornets out the gym” last night. I don’t consider a 2 point game with 9 minutes left in the 4th before one team (the Spurs) makes an 11-0 run, ultimately winning by 11 as a “running the other team out the gym” game. The only redeeming quality between them both is that Greenberg covered Micheal Jordan in Chicago during the early 90s. Other than that, Mike & Mike’s NBA commentary is painful to hear.

Mike Tirico
At halftime, Mike Tirico reported a stat handed to him on a piece of paper….well more like a fact: “Manu Ginóbili has been voted the most popular person in Argentina….even more than their President.”

I usually like Tirico….I still do, but this is quite misleading. For one, Argentines don’t really like their president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (although she is much more attractive than any female President the U.S. could elect).

This lady’s run-down:

• She was elected in 2007.
• Her husband, Néstor Kirchner, was previously President from ‘03-’07.
• Argentina relations with the U.S. have deteriorated during her term as she was suspected of election fraud in receiving illegally funded money from Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez.
• This past March, she tried to raise taxes on soybean exports which led to nationwide protests and highway blockades.
• Argentines with whom I’ve spoken have said that since her election, she has become less visible in public and has essentially become a basket-case as Argentine rags have cove
  red her psychological problems.
• Christina’s approval rating is about 5% less that George Bush’s rating.

Tirico’s “fact” is like saying that Chris Paul is more popular than George Bush….not much insight there. Not to mention that I find it hard to believe that Manu Ginóbili is more popular than the past of Argentine soccer, Diego Maradona, or the future, Lionel Messi.

Mike Tirico, I expect better from you.

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