The interview with a crying Zion Williamson following his selection as the first-overall pick was the best TV moment of the NBA draft.
It was pure and spontaneous.
Considering Williamson’s selection by the Pelicans was so anticlimactic, it was special to have such a sequence.
Interviewer Maria Taylor deserves a lot of credit for phrasing her initial question perfectly to set up Williamson. It was like a point guard serving an alley-oop.
“You have been waiting for this moment since you were 5,” Taylor began her question. “How would you describe being the overall No. 1 pick in this draft?”
It was simple beauty.
The only weapon reporters have to elicit strong answers is how they phrase a question.
Taylor’s query was open-ended and made no assumptions, and she didn’t try to show off her knowledge. It helped bring out Williamson’s emotion because it left him with the range to go where his mind and heart truly were at the moment.
“I don’t know what to say,” Williamson said, growing emotional. “My mom sacrificed a lot for me. I wouldn’t be here without my mom. She did everything for me. I just want to thank her.”
Taylor followed up, understanding the flow of the interview, and asked about the sacrifices his mother made. Williamson got so choked up, Taylor moved to asking questions of Williamson’s mom, who was brought in during the shot.
It was really nice moment.
Taylor is a leading candidate, along with Rachel Nichols, to replace Michelle Beadle on “NBA Countdown,” if ESPN makes a change.
Behind the scenes, the jockeying has already begun. The best way to make your case is with fine work — Taylor had a hand in probably the most memorable TV moment of the draft.
It can’t hurt.
Clicker Consulting: Overall, ESPN’s draft show was fine, but we would add a contrarian draft guru to the main table.
While Mike Schmitz is ESPN’s closest equivalent to Mel Kiper right now, we are not necessarily saying he is the guy to be added for next year.
But they need someone who weighs in to say a pick is not good or to explain why someone will not be successful. A lot of these first-rounders will not be NBA starters. Some won’t even be good.
But watching the coverage from NBA’s main set of, Chauncey Billups and Jay Bilas, you’d get the impression everyone is going to be great.
There is no praise without criticism. It is not about being a hater, but about putting in the work, making honest evaluations and making the show even more dynamic.
Director Davis: Davis showed strong court vision, late in the first round as he spotted Knicks’ pick RJ Barrett high-fiving fans in the crowd. On-air, Davis pointed it out to his crew, who got a small shot of it. Nice audible.
Equal Time: Bilas said New Orleans first rounder Jaxson Hayes is an “above the rim finisher.” Does that mean he can dunk? The larger point: Is what does that really mean? He can dunk over guys? Is there a simpler way to say it?
Twit picks: From my glances, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Stadium/Athletic’s Shams Charania were tipping picks at about the same time. Not sure it matters, as the picks were announced right after.
Executive privilege: ESPN is expected to move Billups to games next season, if the two sides agree on a new contract.
Billups has been linked to front-office jobs and is said to be interested in pursuing one in the future. This can prevent a studio person from really being too critical, as not to ruin any future chances.
Billups offered some analysis on Thursday night, but was somewhat cautious. He’s better on games.
Collegiate spirit: Davis is a strong host, but, because he is a college guy, there is less talk about what the picks mean for each franchise and more about the player’s history. There is just five minutes between picks so there is only so much you can get in.
Still, the show would be a bit more about what it means for teams instead of just the players’ stories if it had an NBA-centric host.
The Final Grade: We’d give the ESPN Draft show 3.75/5 Clickers, which means it was good enough, but could have been even better.
