How to read this NBA preview

The Step Back is brand new but, having evolved from the Hardwood Paroxysm Basketball Network, we already have some established traditions. Everyone is rolling out season previews this year but ours is a little different.

Our effort covers every team but in the interest of going both broad and deep we offer a variety of sections on every team, each with a different focus. When you click through to any of our team previews you’ll find a sampling from the prompts below, selected by our writers. All of our sections this season are named for sitcoms because who doesn’t like a good pop culture reference to ease them into a discussion of the relative shortcomings of the Brooklyn Nets?

Community: Write about the overarching theme of this team’s season
Friends: Write about this team’s chemistry
Third Rock From the Sun: Write about this team’s third-best player
Seinfeld: Write something that means nothing about this team
The Odd Couple: Write about two players on this team who might not blend well
I Love Lucy: Write about this team’s resident chaos-creator
Frasier: Write about the collective neuroses of this team
Gilligan’s Island: Write some fiction about this team being stranded on a desert island
Arrested Development: Write about this team’s inherent limitations
How I Met Your Mother: Write about how this team’s offensive or defensive system will work
Freaks and Geeks: Write about a compelling statistical storyline for this team
Everybody Loves Raymond: Write about this team’s most likable player
Boy Meets World: Write about this team’s young talent
Perfect Strangers: Spatial analysis of how this team’s lineups might work offensively (all provided by Matt D’Anna – @hoop_nerd)

Many of our team previews also feature original art and illustrations. The gentleman below were all incredibly gracious in sharing their time and creativity with us. Please me sure you follow them and let them know how much you enjoyed their work.