Virgil Villanueva Articles - Page 2

The Washington Wizards are off to a strong 5-2 start in the 2021-21 NBA season. They’ve defeated playoff teams like the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics. All the players they acquired from the massive Rusell Westbrook trade seem to be meshing well with Bradley Beal. Who could forget Spencer Dinwiddie who continues to be a […]

When DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso signed with the Chicago Bulls in the summer, everyone already tagged them as the next up-and-coming team. Fans know about DeRozan and what he can do on the floor. He’s a midrange assassin who has developed his passing game during his stint with the San Antonio Spurs. […]

The Phoenix Suns will try to squeeze out their first two-game winning streak at the expense of the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. And from the looks of it, the odds are in their favor. Nonetheless, here are our Suns predictions head of their game against the Pelicans. Phoenix Suns Predictions Vs. Pelicans 1. Suns […]

It’s quite surprising that in a Los Angeles Lakers roster stacked with future Hall of Famers, it’s Carmelo Anthony who’s shining the brightest. The man was fighting to stay in the NBA just a few years ago. Now, he’s risen as one of the most important pieces in the Lakers’ quest for another title. From […]

After their loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, the Golden State Warriors are now 4-1 to start off the 2021-22 NBA season. While it’s unfortunate they couldn’t extend their stellar streak, this is still a tangible sign that this version of the Dubs is one solid team. There are three main takeaways from this […]

The Los Angeles Clippers are off to a 1-3 start without Kawhi Leonard. The two-time NBA Finals MVP is still nursing a minor ACL injury and there’s no specific date for his return. While a ton of Clippers fans are playing the blame game once again, there’s no reason to panic this early on. Yes, […]

Amid the absence of LeBron James who sat out to rest his ankle, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to snag an overtime victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. We can say that a win, no matter through what means, is still a win. However, the Lakers, being considered one of the elites […]

The Charlotte Hornets are off to a strong 3-1 start this season. They were close to recording a 4-0 slate but the Boston Celtics were able to squeeze the win in overtime on Monday. Nevertheless, the first four games have given us some interesting points about the Hornets that need to be discussed. Simply because […]

The Charlotte Hornets should be a team to look out for now that they have found their identity with LaMelo Ball at the heart of everything. They’re aren’t legitimate title threats yet, so they need to address some key questions this season and in the next few years. Let’s plow through some of these questions […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder should be the team to watch for in the future. It’s not just because they have a load of draft picks in the next coming years. It’s also because they have a set of really good and young players this season. Thunder fans themselves have their own fantasies regarding the team’s […]

The 2021-22 NBA season marks another chance for the New Orleans Pelicans to move from a rebuilding squad to one with a solid identity. They have the roster and brand new coaching staff to win. Now, it’s just a matter of execution. Here are four bold predictions for the Pelicans in the coming season. Pelicans […]

The only time the Indiana Pacers made the headlines in the offseason was when they named Rick Carlisle as their new coach. It’s an unfortunate reality, given that the franchise is loaded with talented players in Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, TJ Warren, and Myles Turner. Their solid starting five has been pretty much […]

The 2021-22 NBA season will be a tricky course to navigate for the Denver Nuggets. Not only have opposing teams reemerged from the ashes with their offseason hauls, but the Nuggets will push through with the season without star guard Jamal Murray. With that in mind, here are five big questions for the team—a chunk […]

All eyes will be on the Phoenix Suns as they embark on a brand new season after their impressive campaign last year. The ultimate question is will they be able to improve on their success? Will they be able to win the NBA title this time around? Fans have their own predictions so it’s only […]

After a busy offseason, fans are antsy to see how the Dallas Mavericks will fare this 2021-22. Will Jason Kidd unlock everyone’s potential? How will Luka Doncic surprise us? And of course, will the Mavs win the title? Fans have their own predictions, so it’s only proper that we join them as well. Here are […]

With the 2021-22 NBA season just around the corner, all eyes are on the Dallas Mavericks who are still armed with Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic. Along the sidelines is new head coach Jason Kidd. They have added some key role players, too. The Mavs’ chances are good this year given their offseason activities. However, there […]

The Denver Nuggets fell out in the Western Conference Semis in four games. This wasn’t their ideal ending especially since Nikola Jokic was crowned league MVP. There were fantasies that even without Jamal Murray, Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. will lead the team to the promised land and win it all. This wasn’t the case […]

The brand new season is just around the corner. There are a lot of teams to watch out for, especially those who have a shot at winning it all. Unfortunately, the Portland Trail Blazers won’t be one of those teams — again. While Damian Lillard and Co. have made the playoffs for eight straight seasons […]

It’s going to be an interesting 2021-22 NBA season for the Washington Wizards. After all, they got a massive haul from the Russell Westbrook trade. To make things sweeter, they got Corey Kispert as their 15th overall pick. The Gonzaga product is touted as the best pure shooter of his class. So far, so good. […]

The Los Angeles Lakers were once again offseason winners with their roster haul. In their quest to be the winningest franchise in NBA history, they added future Hall of Famers in Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. They also reunited with Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard, two players who were critical pieces to their 2020 NBA […]

The 2021-22 NBA season will be an interesting one for the Denver Nuggets as they’ll try their best to navigate through the year without Jamal Murray. His absence gives a lot of fans reasons to worry. But at the same time, Nuggets diehards are not in a panic as they have league MVP Nikola Jokic […]

In a strange turn of events, the Phoenix Suns are hesitant in giving Deandre Ayton a maximum contract extension. Ayton, for his part, is not willing to accept anything other than a max contract. It’s puzzling why the Suns are not willing to give the big man the massive extension. After all, there are several […]

The upcoming season can be tagged as the Phoenix Suns’ revenge year. They shocked the basketball world with their stellar regular season and playoff performance. Unfortunately, head coach Monty Williams and crew failed to finish the job, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals. Despite the not-so-happy ending, there’s a good reason to […]

Every NBA season, we see a player break out of his shell and gain the respect and admiration of his colleagues, analysts and fans. This player either becomes an All-Star or puts on a string of great games together. For the Denver Nuggets, there’s one player who is poised for a breakout season in 2021-22. […]

Though Malik Monk was considered one of the best pick-ups of the Los Angeles Lakers over the summer, he was overshadowed by veteran shooter Wayne Ellington, who many believe will take the starting shooting guard spot. After all, Ellington does not only have a wealth of NBA experience, but he’s a dead-eye shooter, too, making […]

The NBA has formally revised its instant replay rules. In particular, referees can no longer initiate a replay review of out-of-bounds violations in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter or any overtime period. The only way to review out-of-bounds violations is thru the Coach’s Challenge. NBA fans went their way to discuss if […]

Training camp doesn’t necessarily mean that respective team rosters are fixed and therefore no tweaks can be made. For all we know, coaches and front office members are keeping a close eye on how a specific player fits in their system. If they deem that an adjustment is in order, then they won’t hesitate to […]

After Kyle Lowry’s departure, fans and analysts aren’t exactly sure about the direction of the Toronto Raptors. You can’t really tag them as a rebuilding team as they still have a star player in Pascal Siakam and a bunch of reliable role players. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine the Raptors competing against […]

The Denver Nuggets and Michael Porter Jr. have agreed to a five-year, $207 million maximum extension. This is the fourth max rookie extension handed out in this offseason alone. MPJ joins the exclusive list which features Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. As always, there was a divide among NBA fans. Some say it’s […]

Ben Simmons was true to his word. He did not show up on media day, and we may never see him ever don the Philadelphia 76ers jersey ever again. As such, maybe it’s about time to take the narrative to a different route. Maybe Simmons isn’t actually worth the chase and that Joel Embiid could […]

The Dallas Mavericks seemed to have been overshadowed by the narratives of favorite teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and the like. They made some key roster tweaks and a coaching change which gained attention early on, but as the offseason progressed, it didn’t receive ample media coverage. […]

It’s quite tough to predict what will happen in the NBA Eastern Conference. Analysts believe that the Chicago Bulls are the team that will surprise everyone by clinching the playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks will probably finish in the top three after their stellar postseason campaign. The Miami Heat, too, remain dangerous, especially after their offseason […]

The NBA Western Conference playoff picture looks very interesting for 2022. We might see some old playoff contenders rise from the ashes. On the flip side of the coin, this means those who made it last season — especially by the skin of their teeth — might not make it this time around. Three teams […]

With the exit of Gersson Rosas from the Minnesota Timberwolves, the organization is now on the hunt for its new president/general manager. After news broke, Elton Brand, the current general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, was immediately rumored to be Rosas’ replacement. In wake of Gersson Rosas' departure, word has circulated among league sources since […]

Ben Simmons will be sticking to his guns. A report by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reveals that the Australian has no intention of donning the Philadelphia 76ers ever again. Simmons is well aware of the fines for missing media day, practice, and actual games. Starting in the preseason, Simmons can be fined $227,613 per missed […]

The Golden State Warriors recently shared that star guard Klay Thompson will mark his return in the 2021-22 NBA season. Thompson will participate in controlled drills during the training camp, though the team has not disclosed an exact date of his return. Whatever the case may be, Warriors fans have several reasons to be delighted. […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the up-and-coming teams in the West to watch out for. Last year, they made the playoffs for the first time in three years, which is a great sign of progress no matter how you look at it. The main question now is: will they be able to replicate or […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have a generational star present with Zion Williamson in the fold. Despite this, there are still some doubts about the team’s chances at qualifying for the playoffs in the 2021-22 NBA Season. Perhaps it’s due to the lack of reliable role players in their squad or the fact that they have […]

The Charlotte Hornets are a serious up-and-coming team, They have all the proper pieces in Gordon Hayward, LaMelo Ball, and Terry Rozier. They also added some key players in the offseason like Kelly Oubre. However, fans and analysts believe that they need a few more seasons to fully bloom into a playoff squad. While this […]