How to read this NBA preview
By Ian Levy
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.
- Elliot Gerard | @ElliotGerard | elliotgerard.com
- John Boyce | @GraphAtik | forartatiks.com
- Bryan Mastergeorge | bryanmastergeorge.com
- Todd Whitehead | @CrumpledJumper | crumpledpaperjumper.com
- Daniel Rowell | @danieljrowell | teepublic.com/user/danieljrowell
- Matthew Hollister | @keystonematthew | matthewhollister.com
- Luca Trovati | @Lukish25 | behance.net/lucatrovati
- Austin Gilmore | @Teaguery | thebreakfastcubs.com
- Nathan Lee | @njleeart | njlee.com.au
Below, you’ll find links to the preview for each team, along with division logos imagined by Bryan Mastergeorge.
Denver Nuggets: Watch us zag
Minnesota Timberwolves: The future is now, maybe
Oklahoma City Thunder: We don’t need no water
Portland Trail Blazers: Playing with house money
Utah Jazz: Gobert or go home
Dallas Mavericks: On a horse with no name
Houston Rockets: Borderline offensive
Memphis Grizzlies: Still grinding after all these years
New Orleans Pelicans: One standard deviation away
San Antonio Spurs: Best friends forever
Golden State Warriors: Light years ahead
Los Angeles Clippers: Something wicked this way comes
Los Angeles Lakers: Light years away
Phoenix Suns: Bold flavors
Sacramento Kings: My kingdom for some stability
Chicago Bulls: Meet cute
Cleveland Cavaliers: For the King who has everything
Detroit Pistons: The wall is finally finished
Indiana Pacers: Have it all
Milwaukee Bucks: Hamstrung
Boston Celtics: Feeling the slow burn
Brooklyn Nets: When the only tool you have is a hammer
New York Knicks: Mirror, mirror
Philadelphia 76ers: Trust, but verify
Toronto Raptors: Clear eyes, broad shoulders, can’t lose
