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..

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.

The most expensive sports memorabilia out there

It’s not enough for every hardcore sports fan to cheer on their favorite team. They have to have a collection of memorabilia that reminds them and others of how much they love their squad. But not all memorabilia are created equal. Some have that certain magic that makes them more valuable than the rest. 

Image source: thehistoryblog.com

Take for instance Babe Ruth’s New York Yankee’s jersey, which he donned in 1920. Factor in Babe Ruth being perhaps the biggest legend in American baseball history and the fact that historians speculate this to be his first ever Yankees jersey. The result? $4.4 million at an auction. This has been one of the most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia to date. 

Other sports memorabilia are affected by circumstance, like the baseball Mark McGwire hit at the expense of Carl Pavano and the Montreal Expos. On an ordinary day, that ball wouldn’t be worth as much as other classic memorabilia. But as fate would have it, it was McGwire’s 70th home run and a world record. It was also his last bat for the season. The ball would go on to sell for $3 million. 

An honorable mention goes to the Honus Wagner card released by American Tobacco Company in 1909. The card is said to be worth $2.8 million, making it the most expensive baseball card in history.

Image source: mensjournal.com

Hi, I’m James DeVellis. I’m a college student living in Arizona. I major in sports management and write blogs that focus on everything in the world of sports. Follow me here for more sports updates.