Virgil Villanueva Articles - Page 58

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni has certainly learned some valuable lessons from last season’s slow start. This 2019-20, he wants his team to have a sense of urgency from the beginning of the season. To recall, the Rockets started off with an 11-14 record in the 2018-19 season, an unacceptable start given that they […]

D’Angelo Russell seemed comfortable with the Golden State Warriors’ system right from the get-go, and Steve Kerr thinks it’s all thanks to Luke Walton. Per Mark Medina of USA Today, Kerr shared that he and Walton run similar practice drills and offensive plays. As such, it made Russell feel at ease on his first day […]

The 2019-20 season will be the first year of Erik Spoelstra and Jimmy Butler as a coach-player tandem. And right from the get-go, the Miami Heat head coach noticed and praised Butler’s ‘Hall of Fame work ethic.’ Much has been said about Butler’s insane work ethic. It’s the stuff of legend yet Spoelstra claimed that […]

NBA legend Jerry West gave Los Angeles Clippers star forward Paul George some advice on basketball moves and footwork in a recent workout. In a video by Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints, West can be seen sharing some tips on how to work in the post. George, a talented scorer himself, was more than willing to […]

New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale will have Julius Randle at his disposal starting this season. From his perspective — given that the team has lots of versatile players — Fizdale is open to placing Randle at the center position. According to Fizdale, putting Randle at the five will create pressure on the opposing […]

Joe Johnson is happy that he’s back in the NBA donning the Detroit Pistons jersey. However, he admitted that there was really no active pursuit in trying to return to the big league. Johnson last played in the 2017-18 season for the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets. After the season ended, the seven-time All-Star […]

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle says he greatly appreciated the Mavs players for organizing their own bonding session this offseason. Carlisle, who is now in his 12th year as the Mavs’ head coach, believes that the initiative the players showed is a great way to develop chemistry. For him, it proves that the entire […]

With Kevin Durant out for the entire 2019-20 season, the Brooklyn Nets will look to the duo of Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert to lift the offense. From head coach Kenny Atkinson’s perspective, this newly formed partnership will work. Irving is known as one of the most potent scorers in the league. He gets his […]

According to Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen, this year’s team is a squad full of ‘ballers.’ Through the course of the offseason, the Bulls added several key pieces to their team through free agent signings and the draft. Boylen, who’s entering his first full season as head coach, briefly described each of their acquisitions. […]

Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls are an up-and-coming duo, and they want the whole league to know about them. For LaVine, there’s no pressure to prove themselves to others, noting that to reach the elite status is what they expect and ought to do. He looked back on his partnership with […]

Andre Roberson of the Oklahoma City Thunder is now injury-free and off and ready for training camp. Andre Roberson: "I'm full go … I expect to be participating in most of training camp." — Royce Young (@royceyoung) September 30, 2019 To recall, the defensive stalwart missed all of last year as he underwent rehabilitation for […]

Dallas Mavericks rising star Luka Doncic is excited about his partnership with Kristaps Porzingis, expressing his belief that they will work well together under Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle. When asked on why he thinks he will fit well with his new Mavs teammate, Doncic responded with a rather amusing but straightforward answer: Luka on […]

Chicago Bulls high-flyer Zach LaVine might join the Slam Dunk contest once again in the 2020 All-Star Weekend to be held in Chicago. During the Bulls’ media day, the two-time dunk champion admitted he’s thinking of joining the contest. However, it still depends how his body is feeling heading to the competition. "The dunk contest […]

Kris Dunn has revealed that during his 2019 exit interview, the Chicago Bulls informed him of their plan to ‘upgrade’ the point guard position. Kris Dunn said management told him in exit meetings that they planned to upgrade the PG position and he’s “all in” to help Bulls win. — K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) September 30, […]

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle expects guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to be cleared from his surgery for training camp. Per Mavs reporter Dwain Price, Carlilse gave an update of on Hardaway Jr.’s surgery last April to address an injury to his left tibia. “From my understanding everything went well and I expect that he’s […]

Miami Heat rookie Tyler Herro never backs down from any challenge, and Jimmy Butler respects him for it. Butler shared his thoughts on Herro, the Heat’s 13th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. From Butler’s observation, the 19-year-old is the type who’ll go against anybody and take on the challenge — be it in […]

Sacramento Kings big man Harry Giles has admitted that he’s always had the 3-point shot in his arsenal but just ‘didn’t want to take them.’ Giles, who’s entering his second year in the NBA, took just six attempts from deep in his rookie year and did not convert on a single one. According to him, […]

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni expects center Clint Capela to be ‘great’ in the upcoming 2019-20 season. D’Antoni, who’s coming back for his fourth year as Rockets head coach, noted that Capela has always brought his game up a notch every year. The veteran tactician also pointed out how Capela’s FIBA World Cup experience […]

The iconic 2002 St. Vincent-St. Mary high school jersey of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is now up for auction, per Goldin Auctions. LeBron wore the jersey during a photoshoot with Sports Illustrated on February 3, 2002. The cover, which called James “The Chosen One”, went on to become one of the most legendary […]

Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade just won the 2019 Flip Cup championship and said that it reminded him of his 2006 title run. Via Twitter, Wade shared that they won the flip cup championship despite being down 3-2. It reminded him of the Heat’s successful title campaign in 2006 after being down 0-2 in the […]

Basketball legend Scottie Pippen looked back on the tail-end of his career spent between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Chicago Bulls. In retrospect, Pippen regrets not ending his career with a veteran team. Speaking on The Jump, Pippen shared his thoughts on the final years on his NBA career. To recall, he played the […]

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has chimed in on Kyle Kuzma’s foot injury. The legendary head coach praised the forward and feels bad that injury will affect his performance with the Los Angeles Lakers. Per Lakers reporter Kevin Ding, Popovich briefly recalled coaching Kuzma for Team USA. He tagged him as a versatile […]

For Washington Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard, the goal this season is not necessarily to rack up wins but to develop their players. For Sheppard, who’s entering his first year as the Wizards’ general manager, the goal in the 2019-20 season is for their players ‘to be stars in their role.’ And they don’t necessarily […]

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel believes that there might be bigger roles in store for back up guards Quinn Cook and Alex Caruso. The consensus is that Rajon Rondo — who’s entering his 14th year in the league — will be the Lakers’ starting guard. But Vogel — who’s entering his first season […]

Norman Powell of the Toronto Raptors admits that the departure of Kawhi Leonard left a big void in their team. However, he is still confident that their current crop of players have the capacity to defend the title. Speaking with Jeff Blair, Stephen Brunt, & Richard Deitsch of Prime Time Sports, Powell noted how people […]

The Dirk Nowitzki era in the Dallas Mavericks was probably the best period in the franchise’s history. But now that it’s done, the team is about to welcome the new era led by the young duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. For longtime Mavs coach Rick Carlise, the two should always remember the franchise’s […]

For veteran guard J.J. Barea, the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis could be NBA’s premiere duo if they mesh well and do it right. Per Dwain Price of mavs.com, Barea believes that the key for the duo to work well is if they help each other out. Here's what #Mavs guard JJ Barea […]

Philadelphia 76ers point-forward Ben Simmons is excited for the 2019-20 season, noting that the Sixers are ‘locked in’ and ‘ready to play.’ Training camp for NBA teams officially opens next week. But like most teams, especially those who have a legitimate shot at the title, Philly is putting in the work earlier than the scheduled […]

Lonzo Ball of the New Orleans Pelicans will likely form a backcourt tandem with Jrue Holiday in the years to come. Ball has had a chance to play alongside Holiday and spoke his experience playing with the defensive stalwart. Per Pelicans reporter Jim Eichenhofer, Ball noted that just like Holiday, he likes to play defense. […]

For Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks, fans should keep their eyes peeled at Taurean Prince in the 2019-20 season. Per NBA reporter Billy Reinhardt, Marks echoed Spencer Dinwiddie’s claims that Prince will be one of those players who’ll take a massive leap in their career in the upcoming season. Dinwiddie said earlier that Prince […]

For the past few weeks, New Orleans Pelicans players have been regularly attending voluntary workouts at the team’s facility. From Lonzo Ball’s observation, this attitude — coupled with the talent in the team– gives the Pels a chance to be good. Per Pelicans reporter Jim Eichenhofer, Ball is confident about his team’s chances this year […]

Meyers Leonard didn’t have a hard time adjusting to his new life in Miami, with Miami Heat president Pat Riley making sure he feels welcomed. Leonard was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Heat in a four-team trade in July. He shared that after the deal was sealed, Riley immediately sent him a […]

Meyers Leonard will be entering his first season with the Miami Heat armed with an expanded offensive game. He has worked hard on his shot over the years and is pumped up and ready to lock and load for his new team. To recall, Leonard was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Heat […]

For Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey, his team has to catch up with today’s playing style and be an efficient 3-point shooting team. In his first season as the Pistons’ head coach, he guided the team to a 41-41 record which was enough for a playoff appearance. With the 2019-20 season just around the […]

People see Rudy Gobert as one of the top defensive players in the NBA and concurrently, the Utah Jazz’s defensive anchor. But for an insider like general manager Justin Zanik, who sees his players under a microscope, Gobert is the most unselfish player on the team. Speaking with Jasen Lee of the Deseret News, Zanik […]

Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik is in awe of Mike Conley’s leadership and his capacity to uplift the team. Speaking with Jasen Lee of the Deseret News, Zanik shared tidbits of their scouting report on the veteran point guard. Apart from his good qualities as a person, what they liked about Conley are his […]

For newly-minted Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik, his team can compete for the title in the 2019-20 season. Speaking with Jasen Lee of Deseret News, Zanik is optimistic in his first year as the Jazz’s general manager. To recall, the organization — in an effort to move up the ranks as one of the […]

Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri believes that a ‘plenty part’ of Kawhi Leonard wanted to stay in Toronto. Ujiri laid out the key factors that might have attracted Leonard to stay with the Raptors. Apart from winning, the medical staff and the fans played a key role. Per Michael Hoad of Yahoo […]

Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is confident his team can win another title even without Kawhi Leonard. Ujiri, who orchestrated the risky trade for Leonard in the summer of 2018, was asked if the Raptors can still win it all without their best player. The former NBA Executive of the Year didn’t […]