ESPN saw a big uptick in overnight ratings for its NBA Draft coverage on Thursday night. The two-round telecast averaged a 2.7 overnight, up 13% from a 2.4 last year, which was the event's lowest mark since '12. The '15 and '14 telecasts still have the top mark for an NBA Draft with a 3.1 overnight. The 2.7 is tied for the third-best overnight on record for an NBA Draft on ESPN. Thursday night's telecast peaked at a 4.0 rating from 8:15-8:30pm ET. Louisville led all markets for the telecast with a 5.3 local rating, followed by Charlotte with a 4.7. Rounding out the top five were Indianapolis (4.4), Norfolk (4.0) and Oklahoma City (3.9). WatchESPN also set NBA Draft streaming records. The event had an average minute streaming audience of 135,200 viewers, up 55% from '16.
HAVING A BALL: Data from Twitter shows Lonzo Ball, selected at No. 2 by the Lakers, was the most-tweeted-about draftee on Thursday night, followed by Markelle Fultz, who was taken at No. 1 by the 76ers. Among all NBA-related personalities on Twitter, Ball also was the most-tweeted-about person, followed by F Jimmy Butler, who was traded during the Draft from the Bulls to the T'Wolves. Ball's father, LaVar, was the No. 3 most-tweeted-about NBA-related personality. The most-tweeted moment of the night was when the Celtics picked Jayson Tatum at No. 3 (7:55pm). A tweet from 76ers C Joel Embiid at 6:48pm, where he discussed a nickname for he and his teammates, was the most retweeted tweet of the night (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
COVERAGE THOUGHTS: THE RINGER’s Mark Titus critiqued ESPN's coverage and wondered who allowed Michael Wilbon "to sit at the desk for five hours to complain about the Bulls and pretend he knows anything about the guys being drafted when Jay Williams could do the job in his sleep.” Meanwhile, ESPN's Tom Penn is “the most underappreciated star of every NBA Draft.” Titus: “I don’t care what Penn actually says when he comes on camera (although I do enjoy his analysis). What makes him a legend is how he can use that touchscreen so perfectly without breaking his train of thought.” Penn “consistently goes on national TV and flawlessly rattles off contract information on every player in the league while using a technology that regularly gives ESPN’s on-air talent fits” (THERINGER.com, 6/23). College basketball podcaster Tony Patelis: "The after the pick interviews need to go. We get absolutely nothing out of them. The questions are so blah" (TWITTER.com, 6/23).
COLOR RUSH: In N.Y., Carron Philips writes an NBA analyst occasionally "'doesn't see color’ and actually gets it right” when comparing players, and ESPN’s Jalen Rose was “on the money Thursday night with two of his comparisons." He compared Florida State F Jonathan Isaac with former NBAer Andrei Kirilenko, as well as Arizona F Lauri Markkanen with Cavaliers F Channing Frye. The comparisons "work because they're based off their games, not their skin color.” However, there were a “few blunders” with ESPN's on-air personnel. Rose compared Gonzaga C Zach Collins to former NBAer Bill Laimbeer when in actuality he is a “poor man's version” of Spurs C LaMarcus Aldridge. Duke G Luke Kennard was “thought to be similar” to 76ers G Nik Stauskas and former NBAer Jeff Hornacek. Take “race away, and offensively Kennard is closer to” Warriors G Klay Thompson because of their “height, build and superior shooting ability.” Philips: “If you have game it doesn't matter what color you are. Which is why analysts and writers need to focus on a player's production, instead of their pigment” (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 6/23).
PRAISE FOR WOJ: Some Twitter observers lauded the digital Draft coverage by Yahoo's The Vertical, led by Adrian Wojnarowski. Fox Sports' Clay Travis: "So @WojVerticalNBA is 10 minutes ahead of the TV broadcast with the NBA draft picks. Just go follow him." Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman:"Woj so far ahead of the TV coverage he's gonna reveal the Kentucky players going Top 10 of the 2018 NBA draft before their show wraps tonite." Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson: "Another reason to tune in to @TheVertical coverage. No LaVar Ball."
