Why the Milwaukee Bucks is the dark horse in the East

This early in the new NBA season, we’ve already been witness to the rise of several Eastern Conference teams.  While the success of the arguably top-seeded Celtics does not come as a surprise, as well as the near-flawless start of the new-look, Kawhi-led Raptors, many NBA analysts haven’t really paid much attention to the Milwaukee Bucks.

It makes sense, too; whereas significant roster changes have taken place in Toronto, Boston, and even Philadelphia (which, as of this writing, has just acquired Jimmy Butler), the Bucks team—even with the loss of the waived Jason Terry and the signing of Ersan Ilyasova and hot-shooting rookie Donte DiVincenzo—is largely the same.  Even the Bucks’ superstar, the “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo is not posting as much numbers as he did last season.  So, what goes? 

The answer is continuity.  The players are now very familiar with one another and trust everyone on the floor, both on offense and defense.  There’s also the commitment to not stay reliant on Antetokounmpo.  This year the Bucks play like a well-oiled machine, with point guards Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon facilitating well and finding guys for open shots.  The team has also been benefiting much from the improved play and hustle of its lengthy forwards Khris Middleton, and John Henson. 

Antetokounmpo is, of course, still the heart of the Bucks’ play.  But since more guys are now comfortable being spot-up outside shooters, it has opened the floor more for Giannis’ highlight dunks and layups.  That this Milwaukee team will reach the playoffs is almost a given, even this early in the regular season.  And the team has already displayed that it’s the true dark horse of the East with a recent, 134-111 drubbing of the defending champs Golden State Warriors in the latter’s own home court 

Hey, there. James DeVellis here, a sports business student, voracious reader, and newbie writer from Arizona. More on my hobbies and interests here..

Why trading Luka Doncic was a huge mistake by the Hawks

Celebrated basketball commentator Bill Simmons argued it well: Atlanta trading Euro League sensation and MVP Luka Doncic for point guard Trae Young is a decision the Hawks will quickly regret.  The case is simple— Doncic is the most experienced professional basketball player in the recent NBA draft.

Image source: thesmokingcuban.com

To be fair with Atlanta, trading the draft right for Young made sense if they were hoping to land a player in the mold of Steph Curry.  The pesky point guard can make huge treys both in transition and coming off picks.  Young is explosive toward the rim and has high basketball IQ.  He is already a complete point guard.

Image source: hoopshype.com

But the few glimpses of the 6’8” Slovenian sensation Doncic in the preseason games have already shown NBA fans that he fits well with the Mavericks’ system.  Not only is he a great passer for a big man, he can also drain long three-pointers and play multiple positions, from point to power forward.  

It’s not even a case of physicality, as obviously Trae Young is the smaller player.  Doncic is still prone to turnover when guarded upfront or swarmed, but his exquisite passing skill should compensate for that.  He will adjust sooner than most people think and quickly silence the skeptics.  In fact, without even a single game of the new NBA season played, Doncic is already the odds favorite to take the Rookie of the Year title.

Yes, his impact remains to be seen, but experience does go a long way.  The 19-year-old Doncic not only has perhaps the biggest upside among the rookies, but already has the veteran smarts to compete on the biggest stage of pro basketball.

Hi, there. I’m James DeVellis, a student from Arizona studying sports business. I’ve decided to start my own blog and write about sports early. For more insights on the NBA, follow me on Facebook.

Boxing legends series: The twilight of Pacman’s career

I have a few Filipino friends, and I have to say – they’re the best people in the world.  Just don’t tell them their hero, Manny Pacquiao is done with boxing.  They’ll take it personally. 

Image source: thenational.ae

But seriously though, Philippine and world boxing legend Manny Pacquiao doesn’t have anything left to prove.  He’s the only 8-division world champion and one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of his generation.  Sure, he’s suffered some losses, the latest of which was from a very controversial decision against Jeremy Horn.  But he’s also had that glorious finish, knocking out Lucas Matthysse in his last bout.

Image source: wsj.com

Pacman is no longer the invincible “Mexecutioner” that he once was.  Even after delivering a beating on Matthysse, sports writers and boxing experts could see how his footwork had greatly diminished.  This can also be attributed to his letting go of Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach, which marked the end of an era for Pacman.

Whether you’re a Pacman fan or not, there’s no denying his impact on the sport.  However, there’s also no denying that his career is nearing its end.  He may have a few more exciting bouts in him, but these would only be against lower-tier fighters. 

While there are rumors now that Pacman may be having a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr., if this pushes through (and we all know this will probably only be for the money), it may well prove to be Pacman’s swansong. 

Hello there! My name is James DeVellis. I’m a college student majoring in sports business. My goal is to be a full-fledged sports writer someday. If you love sports, visit this blog.

A look at where the Lakers stand next season

Image source: clutchpoints.com

With Lebron James now the Lakers’ leader, it’s time to reevaluate the place of the once-dominant franchise in the Western Conference, and the league.

First, let’s get one thing out of the way.  With James on board, the Lakers have now become an instant playoff team.  But are they title contenders? 

Image source: britopian.com

The biggest hurdle is still obviously the mighty Golden State Warriors, who are head and shoulders above their closest rivals, the Houston Rockets, who are in turn miles ahead of any other team.  To beat the Warriors, the Lakers need to show they can handle the Rockets.  After all, the Rockets and Warriors have very similar run-and-gun strategies. 

So, to be safe, let’s argue that the Lakers are now the third best team in the Western Conference, alongside the OKC Thunder and probably, the Utah Jazz.  Against teams in the Eastern Conference, they’re probably better than most and have a 50-50 chance against the rising Boston Celtics and Philadelphia Sixers.

Is this Lakers team better than Lebron’s Cleveland team last season?  With a legit point guard in Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, and up-and-comers in Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball, one may say that this squad may just be as good, however severely untested.

My prediction?  For the 2018-2019 season, the Lakers make it to the second round of the playoffs.  
Hi, I’m James DeVellis. I’m starting my own blog to get ahead of the curve in the sports writing industry. For more about the stuff I love, check this link.

The Greatest Modern Day Mixed Martial Artists

The title of G.O.A.T. in MMA is thrown around pretty lightly these days. Many MMA fans believe their favorites should be called the greatest of all-time. I would also like to throw our hat in the octagon and give my opinion on who I think is MMA’s GOAT in the modern, sporting era.

Image source: lowkickmma.com

The Last Emperor

For more than 10 years, Fedor Emelianenko went on undefeated in the MMA world. Yes, for over a decade, no fighter could ever beat the highly-touted Russian, who seemed to have the answer for everything his opponents would come up with. Although his best years are clearly behind him, the legend of Fedor’s dominance will live on forever.

The Spider

No other UFC fighter was as revered and feared as Anderson Silva was at his prime. He did things in the octagon that nobody thought was possible and beat his opponents in ways no one could imagine. He was a champion for over 2,400 days, defending his title on 10 different occasions. He was simply on another level.

GSP

Georges St. Pierre is the greatest welterweight fighter of all time, period. He defended his belt 12 times and has almost never lost a single round in his MMA career. GSP’s ability to pull off his game plan perfectly makes him the most effective and well-rounded fighter in the UFC in perhaps, ever.

Image source: mmafighting.com

Hi, I’m James DeVellis. I’m starting my own blog to get ahead of the curve in the sports writing industry. For more about the stuff I love, check this link.

The wonder that was the 2017-2018 Boston Celtics

Before the 2017-2018 season started, the Boston Celtics looked like one of the most formidable teams on paper. They had a solid roster of role players and acquired Cavs’ star guard, Kyrie Irving, and Jazz standout forward, Gordon Hayward. 

Image source: usatcelticswire.wordpress.com

Then the season started. And Hayward suffered a season-ending injury. 

From being one of the highly-favored teams in the East, the Celtics’ stock dropped. But only by a bit, since they still had Irving leading the charge and the team was putting up an incredible showing throughout the first half of the season. 

Then it was Irving’s turn to suffer a season-ending injury, weeks before the playoffs. 

This time, only true green-blooded Celtic fans believed their team could attain any measure of success in the playoffs. But behind the genius of Brad Stevens, and an entire lineup devoted to the ideals of teamwork, the Celtics, without their superstars managed to beat heavily-favored teams in Milwaukee and Philly, and only fell to Lebron James and the Cavs in seven games. 

To give credit to any one player on the roster is to do the team a major disservice. Without the contribution of all these guys, Brad Stevens’ master strategies wouldn’t have come to fruition. 

This year, count on them to rule the East. 

Image source: nba.com

Hello there! My name is James DeVellis. I’m a college student majoring in sports business. My goal is to be a full-fledged sports writer someday. For more sports updates, visit this blog.

Writing Tips For The First-Time Sports Blogger

A lot of Americans are into sports or are fans of the various professional sports in the country. We like to catch up on the latest news and read insights on our favorite teams. A good pastime then (and maybe even a career move) is to write sports blogs. Hereunder are tips for the beginning sports blogger.

The first step is to decide on the sport you want to focus on and the readers you want to reach. This is establishing your niche. Are you into baseball, football, or basketball? It’s going to be hard to try to cover all major sports especially at the start, so focus on one.

Image source: uicookies.com

The next move is to think of a catchy name for your blog and set it up. There are tons of blog sites you can use, from BlogSpot and WordPress to Tumblr and Weebly. Come up with maybe a witty name or one that is easily connected by readers to the sport you are committing to writing about.

The writing itself should be less formal, with but touches of opinion and lots of factual information and stats. You have to be up to date on what’s happening and what’s brewing in the rumor mill (like trades, coaching changes, etc.) about all the teams in the sport. Also keep in mind that, unless you want to devote your blog to a particular team, you’ve to maintain a sense of objectivity. It all begins with finding a good angle or slant.

Image source: colorlib.com

My name is James DeVellis, a Sports Business student based in Arizona. I want to be a successful writer one day, so I use the social media platform to get my words out there. For more of my writings, visit this page.