Five minutes into NBA Shootaround, I noticed that I was actually paying attention to the show. So far this season, Shootaround has been easy to skip; Fred Hickman has been nondescript and mistake prone, while analysts Greg Anthony and Tim Legler have been lacking energy and anything interesting to say.
But tonight, the show is slightly more watchable. It’s nowhere near TNT’s quality, but it’s certainly better than the boring, bloodless dreck from previous weeks. The reason? Stephen A. Smith, who made his return to the show after leaving due to Quite Frankly (now canceled). Smith, bombastic, obnoxious and the biggest irritant on ESPN other than Skip Bayless, is the life force behind the otherwise dead NBA pregame show. What Smith gives NBA Shootaround isn’t good analysis, intelligent debate or thoughtful commentary. In fact, Smith doesn’t possess the talents to provide any of the three. But he does spice things up, at least slightly.
He may not be able to wake Fred Hickman, Greg Anthony or Tim Legler up from their season long slumber, but at least he seems to have some measure of energy and interest in the proceedings. And that may only account for five to ten more minutes before most fans switch the channel. That being said, it’s better than nothing — which is what Hickman, Anthony and Legler were providing before Smith’s return.
