National Basketball Association

The only constant is change

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

You may have noticed that content across the HP Network has slowed to a trickle over the past few weeks. Usually, this is the time of year when our sites are flush with preview content as we gear up for the new season. The reason we have been so quiet is that change has been fomenting behind the scenes.

Hardwood Paroxysm joined FanSided in April of 2014 with big aspirations all around. We expanded from a single site to a network representing several verticals and stretched out our coverage. Over the past two-and-a-half years we have done many things well and created work and projects that we are incredibly proud of. However, it has become increasingly clear that the spread-out nature of our network is somewhat self-defeating. We still believe strongly that there is an audience for all the different kinds of basketball coverage we’ve engaged in, but by dividing them into separate sites we have reduced the impact.

At the beginning of this month the decision was made to reformulate the HP Basketball Network. Hardwood Paroxysm, which is still owned by Matt Moore, will go independent and continue under Matt’s direction. The rest of the network will be rolled up into a new NBA vertical called The Step Back, launching Monday, October 24 on FanSided.com.

This change is a validation of the HP Basketball Network and the work we’ve done, an opportunity to bring our perspective to a larger audience in a centralized location. It was time for the network to evolve.

These kinds of changes can be emotional but in this case, everyone is excited about the future. Hardwood Paroxysm will sustain and get the chance to rediscover its roots. The Step Back will carry forth the voice and aesthetic of the HP Basketball Network, in a new location with new resources and a larger platform. Many of our writers will join The Step Back (editors also) and some will continue to make appearances at Hardwood Paroxysm as well. Our audience has grown accustomed to the unique perspectives on player personalities from Friendly Bounce, on up-and-coming prospects from Upside and Motor, on the statsier side of basketball from Nylon Calculus, and the audio stylings of our podcast network — all of those voices will be a part of The Step Back.

For now, all of the Network’s content from the past two years will stay where it is. Eventually it will be archived at FanSided so you will always be able to find your favorite posts from the past.

The Step Back will be live on Monday morning and will be the home for what we had begun preparing as the Hardwood Paroxysm season preview. Come by and check out the creative deep dives on each team, along with the original art and illustration you’ve come to expect. In the meantime, you can follow The Step Back on Facebook and Twitter as we make our final preparations for launch.

Thank you for reading and supporting us these past few years. Stay tuned for more details about what’s next for Hardwood Paroxysm and we’ll see you Monday at The Step Back.