As an analyst, ABC’s Hubie Brown is still a coach. When a player makes a fundamental mistake, you half expect Brown to blow a whistle, stop the play and start correcting the error.

While Brown’s passion makes him an enjoyable listen, he doesn’t like to be too critical, often preferring to lean on statistics instead. With his opinions, Brown gives you nibbles, but rarely the full bite.

What separates TNT’s Steve Kerr’s from the other top NBA game analysts is his demeanor. While Kerr offers strong takes and points out subtleties, he – unlike Brown or Doug Collins – can rope in the more casual fan because of his sense of humor.

Listening to him speak, he sounds as relaxed as if he were in a saloon. That’s why Kerr has NBA broadcasting’s top honor, The Matchup’s NBA Game Analyst of the Year.