When ABC "traded" Al Michaels to NBC this off-season, ABC replaced Michaels with Mike Breen as their lead NBA play-by-play announcer. Breen will now be calling the NBA Finals with Hubie Brown, Michaels former partner. Breen is an established play-by-play announcer, but is he the best in the business?

Breen is currently in his 14th season as an NBA broadcaster. He worked for NBC as both an NBA and WNBA broadcaster until 2002, the network's last year. He is also the lead play-by-play announcer for New York Knicks games on the MSG Network, taking over for Marv Albert who left over a dispute with Knicks management. ABC chose Breen instead of pursuing the likes of Albert, Brent Musburger, Kevin Harlan, or Dick Stockton.

It is suspected that the move was made as much for convenience as it was for talent. Albert is under contract with Westwood One, the YES Network, and TNT. Harlan and Stockton both also work games for TNT. Musburger, who calls NBA games for ESPN would seem to be the more obvious choice. He has years of experience calling big games and is one of the most recognizable voices in the industry.

It seems as though ABC simply elevated Breen from the number two spot to number one without considering the other options. However, the number one spot demands much more than number two - most notably the NBA Finals. Is Mike Breen the best NBA play-by-play announcer? We'll soon find out.