TNT is ready to showcase the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Wizards’ John Wall, in front of a national audience. And Wall, by all accounts, is ready for the attention.
Steve Smith, who spent 14 years in the NBA, is in his third year as one of the lead analysts on NBA TV’s signature program, “NBA GameTime,” and he knows exactly why the world is excited about Wall.
Smith on Wall’s impact » He is very talented. He can score right now as well as any point guard in the NBA, and he hasn’t played a game. He can pass the ball, and he is cool with doing just that if it makes the team win. He is a bright kid who is coachable and wants to be the face of the franchise. He has that “it” factor going for him, and he is a great player to build a franchise around. I know Wizards fans will have plenty to cheer about, and building around a kid like Wall can make them a contender fast. He has that Magic Johnson smile with a killer instinct.
Smith on the NBA season » In the East, how far will Miami get? Boston is still the team to beat, and they really feel that way. Orlando is the sleeper in the East, and they could take it all. In the West, it is the Lakers’ (title) to lose. Do the Spurs still have one last run in them? As for a sleeper out West, I really like Oklahoma City. Last season no one wanted to face them because they were fearless, and now we will see how they have matured.
Legendary play-by-play man Marv Albert and his broadcast partners, Mike Fratello and Steve Kerr, will call the Wizards-Magic game. Craig Sager will serve as the in-game reporter. The second game of the doubleheader will feature Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz hosting Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns at 10:30 p.m. Locally, Chris Miller of Comcast SportsNet will report live in Orlando.
Radio-wise, 106.7 FM “The Fan” will be the radio home of the Wizards. Dave Johnson, one of the hardest-working men in broadcasting, will be in his 14th season as the voice of the Wizards. He again will be joined by color analyst Glenn Consor.
106.7 FM “The Fan” has a full day of Wizards coverage planned ahead of the opener. The station also will do a one-hour special starting at 7 p.m., with Bill Rohland and Wizards beat reporter Frank Hanrahan joining Johnson and Consor.
Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!
