NBA analyst Bill Simmons to leave ‘NBA Countdown’, create on show

In unsuspecting news, ESPN writer and Grantland creator Bill Simmons is expected to leave ‘NBA on ESPN’, creating his own Grantland-themed show in the process.

In the last few years, Grantland has grown into a respectable presence as Simmons has surrounded himself with some of the most talented writers in journalism, most notably Zach Lowe who is highly regarded as one of the best in the business. Allowing Simmons to control the direction of the broadcast could lend to more favorable coverage as opposed to what he was able to do in a controlled environment on “NBA Countdown”. This could be ESPN’s way to create competition to NBA TV’s “The Starters”, an unorthodox NBA show led by four former bloggers.

With Simmons’ absence, ESPN will likely set another analyst in his place, delivering a more traditional pre-game show for fans who are quite unfamiliar with Simmons’ approach to basketball. Due to his connections with Grantland, it won’t be surprising if Jalen Rose joins Simmons on this venture, forcing ESPN to place two more bodies alongside host Sage Steele and former head coach Doug Collins.

To put it simply, Greg Wissinger of SB Nation perfectly explains how a Bill Simmons-led Grantland show can turn out.