The Riffs/Banter NBA Preview
The Riffs Man is a basketball shaman. Erik has called in his help to preview the NBA and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Exhibition NBA games are back and those of us who are ever connected to the rhythm of This League, are waking up again. There’s perhaps nobody in this world more connected to it all, at least among those who don’t exist within the league itself, than the Riffs Man.
If you’re on Twitter, you’ve likely seen Riffs or the great deal of psychedelic basketball art that has become a constant among Celtics fans, his squad, but also other teams across the league. There are few people I love discussing the NBA more with so we had an idea this year, heading into the season, which now starts a week from today. Perhaps nobody studies the vibes more than the Riffs Man and as we know, the vibes can often tell you more about a team than a spreadsheet.
We have now combined our powers for an NBA preview with a body switch: Riffs will preview the Trail Blazers and I previewed the Celtics, taking the eyes so trained on each other’s team and focusing it on the other. In addition to the Blazers and Celtics. But without further preamble, we must give you the first edition of “Project Strong Mode."
What is Project Strong Mode? Project Strong Mode is quite simply the most Powerful preview of the 2020-21 NBA Season in the history of Written Word. Your friends Erik Gundersen and the Riffs Man endeavor to break down the upcoming season and set the stage for what should be an utterly chaotic, breathtaking and psychedelic spiritual Basketball Experience amidst the madness of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The NBA Championship is more often than not determined by Mindset, as evidenced by the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers who were lead by the Eternal Chads, Rob Pelinka and Williamrondo. The 2021 Title will be no exception
In the Riffs Installments, I seek to enlighten the World by illuminatbig the Psyche of the Key Players in each teams Quest for Athletic Glory. Basketball has always been about far more than just Basketball. It’s a collective act of personal expression in the 5D Realm that tells stories of the human condition. It communicates attitudes, outlooks and leaves you covered in sweat, blood, tears and sometimes Shid of the Doo Doo Ass if Paulpierce is involved. It is quite simply the most thrilling entity in the Known Universe. These are the Key Players from three teams in the Contender Division.
Portland Trailblazers/Dame: Blow The Whistle
The Trailblazers had a very excellent offseason both internally and with external acquisitions. Adding Robertcovington is a premier defensive and spacing move for relatively cheap and bringing back Enes means having a guy to annoy Jokic again as he did in the West Semifinals two seasons ago. With injury and health luck and a vastly improved setting in terms of Basketball Culture, Harrygile could prove to be a perfect Buy Low addition with Upside . Gary Trent is a stud shooter and willing defender who has room to age into a nice piece longterm. All of Nurkic, Collins, Hood and McCollum are healthy after a tumultuous year of injuries. They no longer have to play Hassanwhiteside. They have Stay Me70 Vibes. Their defense might not Suck Shit. All of these factors have Portland looking like a dark horse title team. But above all there is one man and one mindset that will determine their Success or Failure.
Dame Time:
Bun-B that's Texas baby Ball and G that's Memphis baby $hort Dog that's Oakland baby Dametime that’s Portland,,,babybaby
When I say that Dame is one of the last true Franchise Icons, it is not a lament of star player agency in an increasingly move-oriented league paradigm. I really don’t care to moralize such a concept; owners are often cheap fucking Bums like Tillmanfertitta or Toxic Failsons like Dolan and such arguments usually play in their favor. I think what makes each star happy, paid and in a competitive environment is what’s important. Do whatever man, it’s fine. People are gonna be Mad About It regardless, because that is the Human Sports Fan Condition; shidding your diaper On Line.
But Dame has chosen a different Path and I think it should be celebrated. Its also incredible illuminating in terms of his Mindset. He is psychotic in his belief in himself and his concept of loyalty. Before he was even a franchise caliber player he fucking believed it, and also believed that you didn’t believe it and that shit pissed him the fuck off even if you didn’t believe what he thought you,, believed. And that is the central tenet of his Mindset. If you say some shit in the press during a series, he’s seeking out the ultimate moment of vengeance to not only Stab You with a Dagger, but to also Twist in that Knife. It’s provided two of the biggest series and game clinching threes in recent playoffs history and a huge series win in an incredible WCSF against a formidable Nuggets squad thats proven in the time since to be chock full of elite talent.For a team that’s down in the hole often with seeding and health breaks, this season offers a rare glide path for this team and its icon to finally do what he’s belligerently believed they can accomplish this whole time. I believe theyre contenders. But Dame doesn’t give a fucking shit what I actually believe; he thinks we are all still doubting him for some goddamn reason that isn’t even founded in reality. And that is Cool, to me,,The Riffs Man, even if it’s tiring to others. And he doesn’t give a fuck about those others either.
But Dame has chosen a different Path and I think it should be celebrated. Its also incredible illuminating in terms of his Mindset. He is psychotic in his belief in himself and his concept of loyalty. Before he was even a franchise caliber player he fucking believed it, and also believed that you didn’t believe it and that shit pissed him the fuck off even if you didn’t believe what he thought you,, believed. And that is the central tenet of his Mindset. If you say some shit in the press during a series, he’s seeking out the ultimate moment of vengeance to not only Stab You with a Dagger, but to also Twist in that Knife. It’s provided two of the biggest series and game clinching threes in recent playoffs history and a huge series win in an incredible WCSF against a formidable Nuggets squad thats proven in the time since to be chock full of elite talent. He possesses a smoldering coolness and contained rage that is somehow channeled perfectly into both his play and leadership in constructive ways.
For a team that’s down in the hole often with seeding and health breaks, this season offers a rare glide path for this team and its icon to finally do what he’s belligerently believed they can accomplish this whole time. I believe theyre contenders. I think Dame can win a title like Nowitzki did, as a lone supreme talent with perfect complementary talent and coaching around him. But Dame doesn’t give a fucking shit what I actually believe; he thinks we are all still doubting him for some goddamn reason that isn’t even founded in reality. And that is Cool, to me,,The Riffs Man, even if it’s tiring to others. And he doesn’t give a fuck about those others either.
To read the rest of the Riffs Preview, go to his Patreon page where he is creating Directions in Basketball Sport.
Erik’s previews
Boston Celtics
Oh, the Celtics. I’ve fallen hard for them in each of the last two seasons, both for different reasons. In 2019, I stubbornly stuck with a preseason prediction they’d win the championship out of nothing but some shitty gamblers pride, despite all the evidence that they’d completely fallen apart as the team that had taken LeBron James to a Game 7. Last year, the growth of Tatum, the tireless Marcus Smart and the suddenly imposing confidence of Jaylen Brown had grown on me. But again, I was too quick to anoint them as the Heat were just a notch better than the Celtics. I still owe someone lunch for that series.
But enough about my gambling, the Celtics are going to be the class of the East once again and have gotten much better after Bam Adebayo outmuscled them, Jimmy Butler manipulated them and Tyler Herro got unbelievably hot. The Celtics have also added one of the league’s elite offensive rebounders, someone who the Celtics know well as their foil: Tristan Thompson.
While Celtics fans had their sights set on the Celtics Team USA running mate Myles Turner, I’m here to remind you Turner was the anchor of a team that lost to both France and Serbia, featuring perhaps the most apathetic/depressed Jokic the outside world has ever seen. The Pacers reluctance to include Turner saved the Celtics from themselves and Thompson, while he is Canadian, is going to help them win more close games than Turner ever would. Turner is, frankly, Hassan Whiteside with the green light from the 3-point line. Extra possessions are something that is hard to come by in the closest of games and Thompson discovers them with persistence and anticipation, while also being able to switch onto pretty much any guard to contest their shot and get the box out.
Thompson will help the Celtics with their toughness, their rebounding, their defense, and their recognizability within the Kardahsian/HillSong Church crowd, of which many grifts can be harvested.
Aside from Thompson, more GRANT should cause some very uncomfortable moments for opponents as he enters his second season. Hopefully, he improves his 3-point shooting. Another player sure to make opponents uncomfortable is Payton Prichard, who is one of the greatest players in the history of the state of Oregon and has been busting opponents in front of NBA personnel since he was 15.
Since the Lakers are around, I don’t know if I can pick the Celtics to win it all for the 3rd year in a row after going 0-2. But on the other hand, maybe this is the year???
Los Angeles Lakers
What can be said about the Los Angeles Lakers that isn’t already obvious? In LeBron James, they have perhaps the best player of All-Time and still the player who both sees and creates the most winning moments in the league, regardless of who has the MVP award. You can even ask Giannis. They also have perhaps the 2nd best player in the league, Anthony Davis. Davis has always been an Above The Rim phenomenon but in 2020, he was shooting from the midrange like an advanced version of Kevin Durant. What did King Robert of Deals do after seeing LeBron and AD put up numbers that the league hasn’t seen since Shaq and Kobe? They got younger and deeper.
In Montrezl Harrell, they added the NBA’s reigning 6th Man of the Year and also took away a key part of the identity of the rival Los Angeles Clippers. With the acquisition of Dennis Schröder in a trade involving Danny Green and a draft pick, the Lakers got a young point guard who can handle a high volume of creation and also fit in alongside LeBron James. And while they gave up Danny Green to get Schröder, they replaced him with Wesley Matthews, who while not as successful in the ring count, gives comparable production to Green at the shooting guard spot.
In addition to the big additions, they could also see internal growth from younger players on their roster such as KCP, Alex Caruso, Taken Horton-Tucker, and Kyle Kuzma. I know it’s easy to make fun of Kuzma and frankly, he sometimes brings it on himself, but he turned himself into a rotation player for a championship team by dedicating himself to the little things. That type of maturity showed me that he’s not just someone to dismiss, even though it’s easy to do so. But all of that said, as much as I made jokes about Lakers fan’s obsession with Talen Horton-Tucker, but he might be coming for Kuzma’s role in the rotation.
The Lakers are the absolute title favorites. Something bad will have to happen for them not to make it to the Finals and win the championship again, solely because their two stars are so good together and they dramatically improved the supporting cast. But even the most perfectly scripted Hollywood ending to the season without a celebration could go awry. That’s the suspense of the Lakers this season: will the team that perfectly came together in the bubble, brought together by Tequila-filled nights and multiple team Madden tournaments, fall apart outside of it? The bettor in me is thinking they’ll hold it together. I hate myself now, but when the bet clears in the summer I’ll be happy.
Dallas Mavericks
Before I start the preview for the Dallas Mavericks, I need to listen to Bad Bunny for AT LEAST 15 minutes, to truly get into the mind of a Luka Doncic. Doncic is of his own mind. Lest I tell him what he believes without listening to Bad Bunny. I don’t play Fortnite so maybe I’ll never quite truly be able to get inside the mind of a Luka Doncic. But what I can see is that this young man was put on this earth to play basketball the way LeBron James was, the same way Lionel Messi was born to play football. But what we are seeing with Luka is absolutely the start of something special and while there are unfortunately a lot questions regarding the health of Kristaps Porzingis, Luka is going to make all of that a secondary concern.
To watch Luka is to watch a player in complete control of the game, while also having the physical presence to assert that control in any matchup and against any defense. He hasn’t even started hitting his 3-pointers at an efficient rate. But his maturity with the ball, his comfort playing with his back to the basket, out of the pick and roll, and in isolations at 21 is breathtaking. With no disrespect to Jayson Tatum, Luka’s control and slow pace make me believe Luka will eclipse 30 points per game this season and he will have yet another MVP caliber season.
Should LeBron James take more games off than we expect, Luka is in prime position to be the MVP this season but the Mavericks still don’t look impressive enough to me for me to consider them a top-four seed, which is surely what Luka will need to be the league MVP. Getting Josh Richardson was a nice move but it cost them Seth Curry, who was one of their most reliable two-way players last season, no matter how undersized he may be, he’s a cagey defender. Outside of the Richardson trade, they drafted Josh Green, whom I like, but may not be ready to contribute to a playoff team in his rookie season after coming in from Arizona after an incomplete college season. James Johnson will definitely improve their edible game, will Mark Cuban give him $1.5 million for 5% of his new wellness company, JJ Wellness Purveyors?
Trey Burke seems to be primed to be the JJ Barea of the future, even though the Mavericks now no longer have someone to discuss the latest Latin trap hits with Luka. Perhaps I’m underestimating Boban’s musical taste. Nevertheless, this Mavericks season is all about Luka. They will be in the mix for the top-six and if Luka is even better than we expect maybe a top seed is in the cards. That’s ultimately what it will take for an MVP award and we already know now after last year’s performance against the Clippers what he’s capable of against the NBA’s elite wing defenders on the game’s biggest stage. Now we just get to enjoy it. Viva Mexico, GUEY!
