This former Pelican would make great Manning-like broadcast for NBA

Former New Orleans Pelicans’ great Chris Paul would be perfect for the NBA’s version of Manning-cast

Chris Paul

No, he’s not retired in fact he signed a four-year extension earlier this summer. But he’s shown the ability to be a great communicator on the floor as well as in interviews. In his postgame interviews, Paul isn’t afraid to speak honestly about the events that just transpired.

In his State Farm commercials, Paul isn’t drop-dead funny but he shows flashes of some comedic chops to his game. I think there’s more hiding beneath the surface that Paul can bring to the table with the help of the right production team.

When it comes to his ability to discuss the game, you’d be hard-pressed to many players today that are more involved in their teams’ game plan than Paul. Just this season fans joked about Paul winning Coach of the Year for the part he played in fueling the Suns to a Finals appearance last season.

Paul has the reputation of grating on his teammates, this is because he wants everyone to play their best and is very demanding (classic old-school guy). While that is often seen as a bad thing, in this case, I think that will help. Broadcasts are always shaky when they first start, the hosts aren’t comfortable with each other yet and that unfamiliarity shows. If Paul is on the broadcast team he’ll push harder for the crew to get on the same page and be more friendly.

This is all just theoretical of course, but the NBA could use some fresh faces in the broadcast “booth” and these three would be great.