CSN New England will have a "new look" this NBA season, as studio host Gary Tanguay, analyst Donny Marshall and sideline reporter Greg Dickerson "won't be part of the network's Celtics coverage," according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Tanguay will be replaced by Kyle Draper "as the host of pre- and postgame studio coverage," though he will "remain as host of 'Sports Tonight.'" Marshall, who called select road games, at one point "seemed in line to succeed Tommy Heinsohn someday" as the Celtics' primary game analyst, but his contract "was not picked up" this summer. Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge and former Celtics Dave Cowens, Cedric Maxwell and Chris Herren "are slated to fill in as color analysts on a couple of occasions." Dickinson had been part of the broadcast team since '05, but he has dealt with epilepsy and Tourette's syndrome in recent years and missed "significant time two years ago." He will "continue to contribute to CSNNE and NECN programming." Abby Chin will replace Dickinson on the game telecasts. Meanwhile, Heinsohn, who will only call home games, will be in studio "when the Celtics are on the road" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/1). In Massachusetts, Jay King wrote Herren is "charismatic and bright," but the "most intriguing news" is Ainge calling games. King: "An NBA GM serving as a color analyst for his own team sounds crazy. What's Ainge supposed to say when the team he put together is losing by 25 points on the road to the Sacramento Kings? ... He's seriously restricted in what he can say. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't see how that dynamic will work" (MASSLIVE.com, 10/1).
