Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: TNT’s Doug Collins, Kevin Harlan
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TNT analyst Doug Collins (left) and play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan (right), shown here interviewing Minnesota superstar Kevin Garnett, broadcast games for the national network on Thursdays throughout the NBA regular season.
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
January 4, 2007
Hornets.com and Hoop magazine writer Jim Eichenhofer chatted with the TNT broadcast team of analyst Doug Collins and play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan at the Ford Center, prior to Thursday’s nationally-televised game vs. the Detroit Pistons.
Collins is widely regarded as the NBA’s premier television analyst, having won multiple Emmy awards for his work. Harlan is one of the most frequently-seen faces on national TV sports broadcasts. In addition to Harlan’s weekly NBA work for TNT, he calls NFL games for CBS, as well as NCAA basketball.
Hornets.com will return to its format of interviewing opposing players and broadcasters on Saturday when the Hornets host the Indiana Pacers.
TNT analyst Doug Collins
Q: What chance do you give the Hornets of staying in the playoff race given all of their significant injuries?
A: Well, they’d only be about one game out of first place in the Atlantic Division if they were in that division, but unfortunately for them, they are in the Western Conference. But I think for the Hornets, after the next 15 or 16 games, you’re going to know one way or the other. I think 11 of their next 16 are home games, so this is a stretch where – even though you’re injured – you have to try to steal a few of these home games. Because even if you get healthy (later in the season), the West is too good to try to make up ground on the road. I view these next 16 games as critical. I don’t know how many of those games Chris Paul is going to miss; I think Peja may be back in March, I don’t know; and David West may be closer to coming back. But the guys they have available just have to hold the fort and give themselves a chance. The Western Conference is very unforgiving, though.
Q: What is your assessment of Tyson Chandler’s play? Many people around the NBA believe that once a guy has been in the league for five or six years, the player is what he is. Is it past the point where he can develop into more of an offensive force?
A: Well, I’ve known Tyson since he was in high school, because he worked out for me (when Collins coached the Washington Wizards and the Wizards had the No. 1 overall pick in 2001). I love his energy, I love his passion, and he has two great skills: He can rebound and he can block shots. He’s a great offensive rebounder.
But I think he’s limited himself offensively. He could be a better offensive player. I don’t know how much he’s put in in the offseason to give himself what I call a ‘weapon.’ What can he go to? Is it a jump hook? Is it a turn-and-face, 10-foot jump shot? Is it a hard drive, and then a finish at the basket? It’s almost like offense is an afterthought to him right now.
Plus, when you’re around the basket as much as he is, he’s got to be a better free-throw shooter. He’s only shooting 32 percent right now, and those are giveaway points. I love Tyson, but I think he’s better than a one-dimensional player. I think he’s better than just rebounding and blocking shots.
Q: How concerned are you about Peja Stojakovic’s long-term health situation?
A: Well, you start worrying when you’ve made that kind of financial commitment, when you say, ‘This guy’s going to be a big part of our team.’
But it’s my understanding that he had some back spasms in Indiana last season, and everything I read was that they didn’t see the disc problem, and neither did New Orleans/Oklahoma City when they looked at it. Maybe now that they have pinpointed the problem, maybe he can strengthen that back and be healthy for three, four or five years in a row.
I remember back when he was an MVP candidate three years ago. He was third in the MVP voting. He carried the Sacramento Kings. I’ve seen that guy play at the top of his game, (but) I haven’t seen that in the last couple years.
This is one thing you have to be very careful about: I was a guy during my (playing) career who started to run into some injuries. What happens is, once you start getting nicked up, it’s hard to get healthy again. When you can’t practice or do the things you like to do as a player, there is some slippage in your game. And there’s been slippage in Peja’s game. He’s got to get healthy enough to the point where he can work hard and get his game back to where it was.
Q: What is your opinion of Byron Scott as a coach? This is a guy who took New Jersey to the NBA Finals two consecutive years, yet never seemed to get much credit. Last season, he was a Coach of the Year candidate until late in the campaign.
A: Well, you have to understand that I coached Byron in college – I was an assistant (at Arizona State) for one season. So I know Byron very well. He’s one of my favorite guys. He was fun to work with, and he worked hard every single day in practice and developed his game. He became a champion.
He did a great job in New Jersey. But sometimes teams want to make changes (with head coaches). I’ve seen it happen all the time. It’s happened to me as well. It’s the nature of this business. I think Byron did what you are supposed to do: He said (to the Nets), ‘Thank you for the opportunity. I feel good about the job I did. We went to two NBA Finals.’
Then he waited for his next opportunity and go to work. He took a (Hornets) team that was an 18-win team and they go to 38 wins the next season. I think they would have won even more than 38 games had they been able to keep their team healthy and not fade at the end. To me, (the 2006-07 Hornets) were a team I picked to be the eighth seed in the West before they had all of their injuries. The question is going be whether they can get healthy.
But the bottom line is, I love Byron. I think he’s a great coach. He’s played for great coaches like Pat Riley. I have the ultimate respect for him, and I want him to do great.
Q: What is your opinion of the Hornets first-round picks, based on what you’ve seen? Do you foresee them as eventual starting NBA players?
A: I think they both have that capability. I look at where Hilton Armstrong started out at UConn, and where he finished. The thing that impresses me about him is that he played every day behind Emeka Okafor for about three years, never transferred, worked on his game, got better and better, and worked himself into a first-round pick. I respect that.
If he can stay in the gym and work (on his strength), I think he has a chance to be a good player. I’m not saying he’s necessarily going to be a great player, but a good player.
Cedric Simmons, I saw him play at N.C. State and put up some big numbers against Duke, where my son (Chris) coaches (as an assistant). He’s got a nice inside game and good footwork, a nice live body. The big thing with big guys is, you’ve got to develop an all-around game. If you’re going to be a starter in this league, or big-time player, you can’t just be a one-dimensional guy.
If those two guys can continue to develop their overall games, I really like what New Orleans has done here in Oklahoma City with their personnel. I think they’ve done a nice job.
TNT play-play broadcaster Kevin Harlan
Q: In addition to calling NBA games on TNT, you broadcast NFL games throughout the season. Which sport do you prefer calling, the NFL or NBA?
A: I like each sport during its season. I could point to good and bad about the NFL, as well as I could good and bad about the NBA. From a broadcasting standpoint, the NFL is probably the single best sports play-by-play broadcasting job out there, because it is the most watched sport, the most popular sport. Even a (poor matchup) can become the best game of the day, with the most excitement. The NFL is very compelling.
The NBA, especially during the playoffs, there’s nothing that can beat that. I also do the Final Four (on radio), and that has a special resonance as well. The excitement in those buildings at college basketball games and in those kids is tremendous.
So I have a hard time saying I like one better than the other, because I feel so lucky to be doing all of them. I don’t want to shortchange any of them.
Q: Who are you picking to go to the Super Bowl?
A: I like Philly out of the NFC, and San Diego out of the AFC. Philly is red-hot right now and has a couple Pro Bowl offensive linemen. They have a quarterback with a lot to prove who I think is hungry, and with their two running backs healthy, I like them.
Q: So if it’s Eagles vs. Chargers in the Super Bowl, who would you pick?
A: San Diego. I’m a Marty Schottenheimer guy. I was with them with the Chiefs in Kansas City (as a broadcaster). They have LaDainian Tomlinson and I think San Diego is going to be very tough to beat.
Q: Tell us why Doug Collins is considered by many to be the premier analyst in basketball. Does he watch more game tape than some NBA coaches?
A: He watches a lot of games. I think the reason why he is the best NBA analyst is because of his passion for it. He loves the NBA and the intricacies of what makes a play work and a team work.
The fact that he is so passionate about it, that passion spreads to all of us. He loves the game of basketball, and cares so much about the game of basketball. He is terrific.
Q: How much time do you and Doug spend interviewing players and coaches to obtain background for a normal TNT game?
A: We start with a conference call on Monday that gives us the game plan for what we’re going to do. On gameday morning, we spend two hours talking about the game. We’re talking basketball. We’re not a (broadcast team) that does a lot of schtick and all that stuff. We’re about basketball. Doug likes it that way, and I’m comfortable that way – that’s also how I do my football telecasts for CBS. That’s what makes it fun, that we’re just doing basketball.
Q: What did you take from your meeting with Hornets coach Byron Scott?
A: When I’ve talked to Byron, whether he was in New Jersey or here, I always thought he is so professional. He wants his players to be like he was. You know, take care of your body, know the plays, be a good teammate. He was the consummate team guy. That’s the way he was with the Lakers and at his other stops in his (playing) career.
If you took him and put a three-piece suit on him, he could very easily be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He has presence that a lot of coaches don’t have. That’s a very important quality to have. I have a lot of respect for him because of the way he carries himself.
Q: Be honest. Would TNT have scheduled this game if it could have known that Chris Paul, David West and Peja Stojakovic would not be playing tonight?
A: I can’t answer that, because these games are scheduled in August. Obviously, you wanted to watch their great players, and they are all out. But at the same time, it’s our job to make it interesting. We are going to talk about things like, ‘How have the Hornets even been able to carve out ANY wins without their four-best scorers?’ And ‘Who’s stepping up? Who’s going to earn a job in this league because of the opportunity they have now?’ And ‘How much is the coaching of Byron Scott going to play a role in this game?’
There are many different angles. I feel like this is not that bad of a game – we’ve had far worse games. I think this will be a fun game and there will be a good atmosphere in this building. We’ve never done a game in this building before, so I am looking forward to it.
Hornets.com and Hoop magazine writer Jim Eichenhofer chatted with the TNT broadcast team of analyst Doug Collins and play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan at the Ford Center, prior to Thursday’s nationally-televised game vs. the Detroit Pistons.
Collins is widely regarded as the NBA’s premier television analyst, having won multiple Emmy awards for his work. Harlan is one of the most frequently-seen faces on national TV sports broadcasts. In addition to Harlan’s weekly NBA work for TNT, he calls NFL games for CBS, as well as NCAA basketball.
Hornets.com will return to its format of interviewing opposing players and broadcasters on Saturday when the Hornets host the Indiana Pacers.
TNT analyst Doug Collins
Q: What chance do you give the Hornets of staying in the playoff race given all of their significant injuries?
A: Well, they’d only be about one game out of first place in the Atlantic Division if they were in that division, but unfortunately for them, they are in the Western Conference. But I think for the Hornets, after the next 15 or 16 games, you’re going to know one way or the other. I think 11 of their next 16 are home games, so this is a stretch where – even though you’re injured – you have to try to steal a few of these home games. Because even if you get healthy (later in the season), the West is too good to try to make up ground on the road. I view these next 16 games as critical. I don’t know how many of those games Chris Paul is going to miss; I think Peja may be back in March, I don’t know; and David West may be closer to coming back. But the guys they have available just have to hold the fort and give themselves a chance. The Western Conference is very unforgiving, though.
Q: What is your assessment of Tyson Chandler’s play? Many people around the NBA believe that once a guy has been in the league for five or six years, the player is what he is. Is it past the point where he can develop into more of an offensive force?
A: Well, I’ve known Tyson since he was in high school, because he worked out for me (when Collins coached the Washington Wizards and the Wizards had the No. 1 overall pick in 2001). I love his energy, I love his passion, and he has two great skills: He can rebound and he can block shots. He’s a great offensive rebounder.
But I think he’s limited himself offensively. He could be a better offensive player. I don’t know how much he’s put in in the offseason to give himself what I call a ‘weapon.’ What can he go to? Is it a jump hook? Is it a turn-and-face, 10-foot jump shot? Is it a hard drive, and then a finish at the basket? It’s almost like offense is an afterthought to him right now.
Plus, when you’re around the basket as much as he is, he’s got to be a better free-throw shooter. He’s only shooting 32 percent right now, and those are giveaway points. I love Tyson, but I think he’s better than a one-dimensional player. I think he’s better than just rebounding and blocking shots.
Q: How concerned are you about Peja Stojakovic’s long-term health situation?
A: Well, you start worrying when you’ve made that kind of financial commitment, when you say, ‘This guy’s going to be a big part of our team.’
But it’s my understanding that he had some back spasms in Indiana last season, and everything I read was that they didn’t see the disc problem, and neither did New Orleans/Oklahoma City when they looked at it. Maybe now that they have pinpointed the problem, maybe he can strengthen that back and be healthy for three, four or five years in a row.
I remember back when he was an MVP candidate three years ago. He was third in the MVP voting. He carried the Sacramento Kings. I’ve seen that guy play at the top of his game, (but) I haven’t seen that in the last couple years.
This is one thing you have to be very careful about: I was a guy during my (playing) career who started to run into some injuries. What happens is, once you start getting nicked up, it’s hard to get healthy again. When you can’t practice or do the things you like to do as a player, there is some slippage in your game. And there’s been slippage in Peja’s game. He’s got to get healthy enough to the point where he can work hard and get his game back to where it was.
Q: What is your opinion of Byron Scott as a coach? This is a guy who took New Jersey to the NBA Finals two consecutive years, yet never seemed to get much credit. Last season, he was a Coach of the Year candidate until late in the campaign.
A: Well, you have to understand that I coached Byron in college – I was an assistant (at Arizona State) for one season. So I know Byron very well. He’s one of my favorite guys. He was fun to work with, and he worked hard every single day in practice and developed his game. He became a champion.
He did a great job in New Jersey. But sometimes teams want to make changes (with head coaches). I’ve seen it happen all the time. It’s happened to me as well. It’s the nature of this business. I think Byron did what you are supposed to do: He said (to the Nets), ‘Thank you for the opportunity. I feel good about the job I did. We went to two NBA Finals.’
Then he waited for his next opportunity and go to work. He took a (Hornets) team that was an 18-win team and they go to 38 wins the next season. I think they would have won even more than 38 games had they been able to keep their team healthy and not fade at the end. To me, (the 2006-07 Hornets) were a team I picked to be the eighth seed in the West before they had all of their injuries. The question is going be whether they can get healthy.
But the bottom line is, I love Byron. I think he’s a great coach. He’s played for great coaches like Pat Riley. I have the ultimate respect for him, and I want him to do great.
Q: What is your opinion of the Hornets first-round picks, based on what you’ve seen? Do you foresee them as eventual starting NBA players?
A: I think they both have that capability. I look at where Hilton Armstrong started out at UConn, and where he finished. The thing that impresses me about him is that he played every day behind Emeka Okafor for about three years, never transferred, worked on his game, got better and better, and worked himself into a first-round pick. I respect that.
If he can stay in the gym and work (on his strength), I think he has a chance to be a good player. I’m not saying he’s necessarily going to be a great player, but a good player.
Cedric Simmons, I saw him play at N.C. State and put up some big numbers against Duke, where my son (Chris) coaches (as an assistant). He’s got a nice inside game and good footwork, a nice live body. The big thing with big guys is, you’ve got to develop an all-around game. If you’re going to be a starter in this league, or big-time player, you can’t just be a one-dimensional guy.
If those two guys can continue to develop their overall games, I really like what New Orleans has done here in Oklahoma City with their personnel. I think they’ve done a nice job.
TNT play-play broadcaster Kevin Harlan
Q: In addition to calling NBA games on TNT, you broadcast NFL games throughout the season. Which sport do you prefer calling, the NFL or NBA?
A: I like each sport during its season. I could point to good and bad about the NFL, as well as I could good and bad about the NBA. From a broadcasting standpoint, the NFL is probably the single best sports play-by-play broadcasting job out there, because it is the most watched sport, the most popular sport. Even a (poor matchup) can become the best game of the day, with the most excitement. The NFL is very compelling.
The NBA, especially during the playoffs, there’s nothing that can beat that. I also do the Final Four (on radio), and that has a special resonance as well. The excitement in those buildings at college basketball games and in those kids is tremendous.
So I have a hard time saying I like one better than the other, because I feel so lucky to be doing all of them. I don’t want to shortchange any of them.
Q: Who are you picking to go to the Super Bowl?
A: I like Philly out of the NFC, and San Diego out of the AFC. Philly is red-hot right now and has a couple Pro Bowl offensive linemen. They have a quarterback with a lot to prove who I think is hungry, and with their two running backs healthy, I like them.
Q: So if it’s Eagles vs. Chargers in the Super Bowl, who would you pick?
A: San Diego. I’m a Marty Schottenheimer guy. I was with them with the Chiefs in Kansas City (as a broadcaster). They have LaDainian Tomlinson and I think San Diego is going to be very tough to beat.
Q: Tell us why Doug Collins is considered by many to be the premier analyst in basketball. Does he watch more game tape than some NBA coaches?
A: He watches a lot of games. I think the reason why he is the best NBA analyst is because of his passion for it. He loves the NBA and the intricacies of what makes a play work and a team work.
The fact that he is so passionate about it, that passion spreads to all of us. He loves the game of basketball, and cares so much about the game of basketball. He is terrific.
Q: How much time do you and Doug spend interviewing players and coaches to obtain background for a normal TNT game?
A: We start with a conference call on Monday that gives us the game plan for what we’re going to do. On gameday morning, we spend two hours talking about the game. We’re talking basketball. We’re not a (broadcast team) that does a lot of schtick and all that stuff. We’re about basketball. Doug likes it that way, and I’m comfortable that way – that’s also how I do my football telecasts for CBS. That’s what makes it fun, that we’re just doing basketball.
Q: What did you take from your meeting with Hornets coach Byron Scott?
A: When I’ve talked to Byron, whether he was in New Jersey or here, I always thought he is so professional. He wants his players to be like he was. You know, take care of your body, know the plays, be a good teammate. He was the consummate team guy. That’s the way he was with the Lakers and at his other stops in his (playing) career.
If you took him and put a three-piece suit on him, he could very easily be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He has presence that a lot of coaches don’t have. That’s a very important quality to have. I have a lot of respect for him because of the way he carries himself.
Q: Be honest. Would TNT have scheduled this game if it could have known that Chris Paul, David West and Peja Stojakovic would not be playing tonight?
A: I can’t answer that, because these games are scheduled in August. Obviously, you wanted to watch their great players, and they are all out. But at the same time, it’s our job to make it interesting. We are going to talk about things like, ‘How have the Hornets even been able to carve out ANY wins without their four-best scorers?’ And ‘Who’s stepping up? Who’s going to earn a job in this league because of the opportunity they have now?’ And ‘How much is the coaching of Byron Scott going to play a role in this game?’
There are many different angles. I feel like this is not that bad of a game – we’ve had far worse games. I think this will be a fun game and there will be a good atmosphere in this building. We’ve never done a game in this building before, so I am looking forward to it.
