What’s Next For The Toronto Raptors?

The Raptors have had an unfortunate NBA season, to put it mildly. Just two playoff series after topping the regular season of the Eastern Conference with a 59-23 win-loss record, they succumbed to the Cavaliers in a sweep. This prompted many basketball fans and experts to believe that they are just overwhelmed by LeBron James’ presence.

The hurdle that is James is something the Raptors can’t seem to pass. And it showed in their tentative play throughout that series. Even the newfound chemistry between Toronto stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan wasn’t enough; the surrounding talent didn’t show up in all four games.

Image source: raptorshq.com

The good news is that James is likely leaving Cleveland this offseason, and chances are high that it will be for a Western Conference team. This will remove the obstacle that has kept the Canadian franchise from moving forward in the playoffs. However, this would also mean that the Raptors will never get the chance to redeem themselves and prove that they can beat a LeBron-led team in the East.

The firing of their coach Dwane Casey is the newest Raptors hurdle. It’s not usual for a coach-of-the-year candidate to get booted off a team, especially one who led the team to the top of the standings. But management probably decided that the shackling Toronto got from Cleveland was too much and too embarrassing, and they had to put the blame on someone. All in all, the Raptors’ future is uncertain, and it might take more than just firing their coach to claw their way back up the NBA ladder.

Image source: medium.com

Shaun Benderson here, a college student from the University of Florida. I’ve been passionate about sports since I was a kid, so I’m now starting to share my thoughts about my favorite leagues and teams. Visit this blogfor similar reads.

Lebron And The Lakers: What Are The Chances?

No doubt about it, Lebron James is the best player today. He’s talented and reliable, and he leads his teams deep into the playoffs. He is truly a physical specimen. This is why there’s been a lot of talk about his fate after the 2017-2018 NBA season. With the way things are going, the Cavs don’t look likely to dethrone the defending champs or even beat the red-hot Houston Rockets. Heck, they may even be dropped by the Cinderella team of the Eastern Conference – Boston Celtics.

Image source: bleacherreport.com

So, let’s take a good look at a scenario that has a chance of happening during the free agency – 

Lebron to the Lakers.

Can James leave the Cavs? Absolutely. He promised the city a title and delivered, despite being a hated figure for all those seasons he was in Miami.

Should James leave the Cavs? Absolutely. If Cavs management can’t find more consistent players, James would have to extend his playing minutes and run himself ragged exposing himself to injury and a shortened career.

Lebron has developed a taste for the spotlight and everything that comes with it, which is why Los Angeles may be a perfect fit for him, lifestyle-wise. However, the Lakers are part of the Western Conference, a conference filled with monster teams and the defending champs. This might mean he may no longer be as dominant as he was.

Image source: gazettereview.com

Do we think he’ll move to the West? Absolutely not.

Hi there, my name is Shaun Benderson. I’m a college student from the University of Florida. I love sports and can’t get enough of writing about it. To read more about the world of sports, drop by this blog.

Does Dota 2 Deserve a Spot On Espn?

In July 2014, many ESPN viewers were treated to something new. The channel broadcasted the biggest DOTA 2 tournament dubbed The International. DOTA 2 is a video game. 

Image source: www.rockpapershotgun.com

For several years now, MOBA or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games such as DOTA 2 have been tagged as e-sports. This is because of the competitive scene and the huge following and support from fans and its developer Valve. Valve is mostly known for its hit first person shooter game Counter Strike. 

The said tournament had a prize pool of over $10 million, the largest ever in the competitive gaming scene at the time. This prize would go beyond $15 million in later years. The International hosts teams from around the world with popular teams coming from North America, Europe, CIS, South East Asia, and China. 

Over 40 professional teams attended the tournament. Some teams got direct invites due to prominence or overall great performances in previous tournaments while the rest battled it out in rigorous open qualifiers. 

Professional DOTA 2 games can also be watched with live sports casters as they spectate the live match and give stats, insights, and blow-by-blow commentaries as teams clash in a flurry of spells. 

DOTA 2 wasn’t ESPN’s first attempt at broadcasting e-sports. Prior to the telecast of The International 2014, the channel partnered with Major League Gaming to host a Call of Duty tournament in Austin. 

Image source: http://www.gamingtech.asia/ 

Hi there, my name is Shaun Benderson. I’m a college student from the University of Florida. I love sports and can’t get enough of sports writing. To know more about the world of sports, drop by this blog.

Why The Greatest Circus Show In Modern Boxing Wasn’t Bad At All

Last August, the world was treated to a spectacle, which many boxing fans were anxious to see. It pitted the P4P king of this generation, the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. against MMA’s biggest star, Connor McGregor. A crossover of this magnitude had never been done before, and of course, people were skeptical.

Image source: sherdog.com

Obviously, it was all about the money. The promotion leading up to the fight was comparable to over-the-top pro wrestling segments with both fighters trying to give each other the best insults they can. 

The fight, however, was something else entirely. Everyone expected the undefeated Mayweather to finish McGregor early, but it wasn’t the case. To everyone’s surprise, the Notorious One put up a spirited effort and even won a few early rounds. UFC and McGregor fans were ecstatic at some of the points McGregor earned.

Although it was easy to see how Mayweather, a 20-year veteran of the sport, outclassed the MMA superstar in the later rounds, it wasn’t nearly the one-sided thrashing experts predicted. Toward the end though, McGregor lost steam and was TKO’d. 

The entire fight saved the whole circus from becoming just that – a circus. Although some casual observers claim Mayweather simply carried McGregor into the later rounds, a lot of replays would show McGregor getting clean shots off. 

Probably not a classic, and definitely not a fight for the ages, but because the fight surpassed people’s expectations in highly entertaining fashion, the entire thing wasn’t bad at all.

Image source: frostsnow.com

Hi there! Shaun Benderson here. I’m a college student at the University of Florida. As a sports fan, I’ve always wanted to start my own sports blog. Click here for more sports-related content.