Maybe he's trying to at least appear unbiased, as announcers are supposed to do, to counter the vibe of Sean Elliott, who reacts to wins and losses more like a Spurs season ticket holder than a professional announcer.
I think he gave up that charade awhile ago. He and Elliott don't even pretend to be 70/30. The only thing close is when Elliott mildly complements obviously great moves or talents by the opponents.

I don't really mind that they've now evolved into very organized fans with one having a press pass to all the players but I just wish Elliott would stop biting his tongue (he admits doing this) when the Spurs obviously do something wrong. His sharpest critique is hinting that the Spurs should probably do something else rather than what they just did.

When Roger Mason comes in and the Mavs go on a 6-0 run in the next minute, I'd like to hear a former pro be negative about it so I can agree.