Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, 2023 NBA Playoffs, Atlantic Files, Podcast
by Alex Fischbein

The NBA Playoffs Are Coming! | TAF267

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, we welcome BJ Boyer back to the show as we preview the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs, go over the scenarios some teams need to still make the playoffs or play-in tournament, talk about the crazy rollercoaster of a season that the Los Angeles Lakers have had, go over some things in the new CBA, talk about the downfall of the Dallas Mavericks, and more!

A friend of the show and local Los Angeles Lakers fan, BJ Boyer, joined this week’s episode to explain his feelings on the current iteration of the team and how much of a rollercoaster ride this season was. He even predicted how long this core will last until they finally have to blow it up again.

Then, we got into some of the specifics that have reportedly been included in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement. The CBA has included things from game limits to qualify for regular season awards to some very interesting salary cap rules that will force general managers to play some crazy cap gymnastics. We gave our thoughts on some of the changes and dove into a lot of details.

Finally, we talked about the downfall of the Dallas Mavericks and started to preview the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Which top teams in each conference are more likely to lose in an upset and which ones will actually make the Conference Finals? Should the Philadelphia 76ers want to play against the Milwaukee Bucks instead of the Boston Celtics, or should they just jump in against either one of them? We go in-depth into those questions and more!

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:49 Los Angeles Lakers season explained
00:34:34 The NBA’s new CBA, salary cap, and more
00:57:16 2023 NBA Playoffs predictions and preview
01:39:18 Remember this guy?
01:41:53 Outro

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Jaylen Brown Speaks On Boston Celtics Fans | TAF266

Welcome to The Atlantic Files, where we cover the Atlantic Division in the NBA as well as big news and updates around the league. In today’s episode, we will be discussing two main topics: Jaylen Brown’s frustration with the Boston Celtics and Ja Morant’s recent suspension. We will also be covering other NBA news and updates, including the recent MVP discussion, Michael Jordan selling the Charlotte Hornets, and player injuries.

Jaylen Brown’s frustration with the Boston Celtics and Fans

Recently, there have been reports of Jaylen Brown‘s frustration with the Boston Celtics organization. It is speculated that the team’s struggles and potential changes in NBA free agency might be the cause of his dissatisfaction. Brown has been one of the Celtics’ key players, and his possible departure could have a significant impact on the team and Celtics fans.

There are rumors about Brown’s desire to leave Boston, with some NBA insiders suggesting that he may be looking for a change of scenery. This has raised concerns among Celtics fans, who are hoping that the team can retain one of their best players.

Ja Morant’s recent suspension

Ja Morant, the young star point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, has been suspended for eight games by the NBA for displaying a gun on Instagram Live while he was being investigated for all of the other recent reports coming out. He’s set to return this week after getting back into game shape and seeking treatment in Florida.

Morant has had an impressive career so far, with a career-high of 44 points and an average of 19.8 points per game. He is also known for his speed and agility on the court, making him a popular pick for fantasy basketball managers. However, with his recent suspension, fantasy managers will need to consider their options carefully.

Other NBA news and updates

In other NBA news, Giannis Antetokounmpo talked about the ever-changing criteria for MVP. Joel Embiid also made headlines with his recent 30-point game streak, while Nikola Jokic continues to impress.

There have also been some recent NBA player injuries and surgeries, including Lonzo Ball‘s surgery for his knee injury. Ball is expected to be out for most, if not all, of the next season, which could have an impact on the Chicago Bulls’ performance.

On top of that, Michael Jordan is looking into selling a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets. He’s had quite the roller coaster ride as a team owner while the Hornets have consistently been a bottom-feeder type of team during his tenure. The newest owner could finally bring some wins and fun back to Charlotte for once.

To wrap up

In summary, the NBA has been filled with exciting news and updates recently, from Jaylen Brown’s frustration with the Boston Celtics to Ja Morant’s recent suspension. We also covered other recent events, including Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP discussion, Michael Jordan selling the Hornets, and player injuries.

As always, we want to hear from our listeners. What are your thoughts on Jaylen Brown’s potential departure from the Boston Celtics? Do you think Ja Morant’s suspension was enough? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:07:51 Jaylen Brown talks Boston Celtics fans and toxicity
00:32:18 Giannis Antetokounmpo talks about the MVP criteria
00:47:26 Ja Morant’s suspension and treatment
00:55:17 Lonzo Ball may miss another season
00:57:25 Michael Jordan selling majority stake in Charlotte Hornets
01:06:46 Remember this guy?
01:18:12 Outro

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Ja Morant And New York Knicks Stock Watch | TAF265

This week, on The Atlantic Files, Ja Morant is watching a lot of his money and opportunities disappear, the New York Knicks are hitting a hot stretch at the right time, the new CBA could use games played to qualify for major awards, Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks are in a big time beef, Kyrie Irving says gambling is taking away from basketball, and Fred VanVleet opens up the referee can of worms!

The hottest news and memes on the block are all related to Ja Morant. That’s not good news or memes either. Morant is now away from the team as he seeks counseling after losing a sponsorship or two due to more and more allegations coming out about fights, guns, and all sorts of things. He needs some help making decisions and navigating the world as a young man with tons of money.

Once again, on a hot streak, the New York Knicks are making people believe that they’re a dangerous team again. Knicks fans are revving up their engines to match the levels they were on when they ended up playing the Atlanta Hawks in the first round a couple of seasons ago. Can the world handle that?

There are rumors swirling around the new CBA that could entail a game played minimum for major awards like MVP in the future. This is something that a lot of people would love to see, but are there players and teams that are going to game the system and still get their guys rest days by playing them for a minute? This could be another sad attempt at getting people to stop with load management.

The beef of the ages is happening between Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks. Two people who aren’t very relevant this season when it comes to outstanding play and winning awards. They sure know how to keep their names in the news and everyone’s mind though!

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Kyrie Irving went on another rant. This time it was about how gambling and sports betting are ruining the sport of basketball and how he doesn’t feel free right now. Yikes.

Finally, Fred VanVleet has finally spoken up about some unfair officiating and other players around the league are starting to agree with him. Could this launch some sort of investigation? Probably not, but it makes everyone wonder.

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:24 Ja Morant’s off-court drama
00:26:24 Draymond Green vs Dillon Brooks beef
00:36:03 New CBA and games played minimum for awards
00:45:49 American White guys are not good at basketball
00:55:38 Kyrie Irving rants about gambling and basketball
01:04:58 New York Knicks are getting hot at the right time
01:09:55 Fred VanVleet vs the NBA Referees
01:17:58 Remember this guy?
01:20:56 Outro

Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Jayson Tatum Still Owns The Philadelphia 76ers | TAF264

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics put away the Philadelphia 76ers yet again, the Brooklyn Nets start to struggle, Russell Westbrook’s first game with the Los Angeles Clippers, historic games since the All-Star break, Jimmy Butler frustrated with Miami’s record, and much more!

In case anyone missed it, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics had an instant classic type of game against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers last weekend. The game was ultimately decided by a game-winning shot by Tatum and even though Embiid made a three-quarter-court shot, it didn’t count and the Celtics won. Why can’t the Sixers ever beat the Celtics and what will it take for them to actually have playoff success?

To nobody’s surprise, the Brooklyn Nets are starting to struggle after trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. While they found a gem in Mikal Bridges, he hasn’t exactly been enough to stay afloat and keep this team in the top half of the Eastern Conference. So, where do they go from here?

Ever since the worst NBA All-Star Game of all time, we’ve now seen some of the greatest regular season games of all time. The double overtime contest between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings was an instant all-timer while there have been even more close games, buzzer-beaters, and overtimes. Russell Westbrook contributed right away to the Clippers in their starting lineup and we’ve seen some more interesting performances from other additions around the league.

Load management is a hot topic yet again across the league and across all the national media outlets. There was a big debate on First Take and everyone else has followed suit across other podcasts and shows everywhere. Where do you stand on the load management debate and why is it on the side that players need to be available more often?

Finally, Jimmy Butler let his frustrations get out during a post-game interview and now it calls the Miami Heat to question as they continue to underperform down the stretch. They haven’t had a fully healthy team all season and while the addition of Kevin Love has been great, it doesn’t seem to be enough right now. Can they actually make any noise come playoff time?

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:54 Jayson Tatum’s game winner over the Philadelphia 76ers
00:15:28 Doc Rivers needs to make more adjustments
00:31:52 Brooklyn Nets are struggling now
00:40:20 Load Management in the NBA is a hot topic again
01:04:57 Double overtime games and excitement so far after the break
01:13:16 Jimmy Butler is fed up with losing
01:22:44 Remember this guy?
01:27:25 Outro

2023 NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Weekend, Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

2023 NBA All-Star Weekend Was Garbage | TAF263

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, we give our thoughts and reactions to the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities, Russell Westbrook reportedly heading to the Los Angeles Clippers, Kevin Love nearing a deal with the Miami Heat, and rest of the season predictions and outlooks.

Now that we’re already nearing the end of February, the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend has come and gone. Another weekend of boring basketball, boring contests, and everyone talking about how player x saved the dunk contest and player z saved the All-Star game. The truth is that it’s beyond saving and we’ll explain why!

Outside of the All-Star festivities, Russell Westbrook is heading to the Los Angeles Clippers to join his old friend Paul George. He doesn’t even have to move cities and he went from a struggling squad to a firm playoff contender. Will Westbrook push this team over the edge though?

Speaking of buyout players moving teams, Kevin Love is reportedly going to sign with the Miami Heat after getting bought out in Cleveland. Does this signing really make much of a difference for Miami’s championship odds or is there a lot more needed to put them up in the top four of the East?

Finally, we took a look ahead to the rest of the regular season and which teams might make a true push while others fall back and potentially miss the playoffs altogether. Who do you have as a dark-horse contender?

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:07:20 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend thoughts and reactions
00:50:00 Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Clippers
01:05:44 Kevin Love heading to the Miami Heat
01:11:02 Predictions for the rest of the NBA Regular Season
01:17:23 Remember this guy, trivia
01:24:02 Outro

Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, Mikal Bridges, 2023 NBA Trade Deadline, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Kevin Durant To Phoenix And Brooklyn’s New Start | TAF262

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Kevin Durant was finally moved to the Phoenix Suns while the madness of the NBA Trade Deadline was one to remember, we go over every big deal from the deadline, how the Brooklyn Nets will hit the restart button, Durant’s frustrations with Ben Simmons, the hit pieces surround Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis not celebrating LeBron James making history, and more!

Kevin Durant requested a trade so fast after Kyrie Irving was shipped out that everyone wasn’t even prepared to fathom the team without him. The only possible team he could play for happened to be one of the Western favorites in the Phoenix Suns because he just couldn’t see himself playing for any other team in the league. So, do the Suns automatically become title favorites, or do the Boston Celtics still have an argument?

The 2023 NBA trade deadline gave us a lot of smaller deals to talk about on top of the big dominoes that finally fell. James Wiseman, Saddiq Bey, Bones Hyland, Mason Plumlee, Matisse Thybulle, and Jalen McDaniels are all on the move, and that’s only a few names. We broke down the bigger trades that happened and discussed which teams won their respective deals.

One report coming out of the Nets camp is that Durant was also fed up with Ben Simmons and the number of people that seem to coddle him throughout all of his mistakes and shortcomings on the court. This sounds eerily familiar as if something like this happened before with another superstar named Jimmy Butler. Simmons is now seeing his minutes disappear before his very eyes in every game.

Finally, there are a couple of stories stemming from the Los Angeles Lakers dealing with both Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Davis looked like he was really hating life as LeBron James made history while there were hit pieces galore coming out about Westbrook just because he was finally traded. Ah, don’t you just love media stories that really don’t mean anything and could even be made up for views?

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Timecodes:

00:00:00 Intro
00:02:24 Kevin Durant traded to Phoenix reactions and thoughts
00:29:33 Takeaways from 2023 NBA Trade Deadline
00:58:58 Anthony Davis hating life while LeBon makes history
01:03:30 Russell Westbrook hit pieces need to stop
01:10:50 KD frustrated with Ben Simmons and people coddling him
01:22:47 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend predictions
01:30:40 Outro

Kyrie Irving, Trade, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Kyrie Irving Traded To Dallas Mavericks | TAF261

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Kyrie Irving gets shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks while Spencer Dinwiddie comes back to Brooklyn, Pascal Siakam and Bones Hyland are rumored to be on the move amongst others, fights broke out between Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks plus Mo Bamba and Austin Rivers, we make our own NBA All-Star picks and talk about the snubs, plus more!

The biggest news in the Atlantic Division right now is obviously Kyrie Irving demanding a trade and then getting shipped right out to the Dallas Mavericks. He and Markieff Morris are on the way to Texas while Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, multiple second-round picks, and a 2029 first-round pick are headed to Brooklyn. Dinwiddie may not want to get too comfortable as there are already rumors that the Nets could then flip him over to Toronto for Fred VanVleet.

Other players that are rumored to be on the trade block right now include Bones Hyland, Pascal Siakam, Cam Reddish, and Furkan Korkmaz, among others. Who is most likely to get shipped to another team and who would benefit their team more if they stayed and had some pieces around them?

In non-trade news, fights have been popping up across the league at what seems like a very high rate. Not only are they entertaining because fights rarely happen, but the one between Austin Rivers and Mo Bamba was just straight comedy. Dillon Brooks and Donovan Mitchell also got into a scuffle after Brooks took a cheap shot which didn’t surprise many people.

Finally, we talked about the 2023 NBA All-Star snubs as well as the players that were selected that probably didn’t deserve to be there. So, we picked our own All-Stars! Let us know which ones you think deserved to be in the All-Star game.

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:09:58 Kyrie Irving traded to Dallas for Spencer Dinwiddie
00:35:15 Bones Hyland, Pascal Siakam, and other rumored trades
00:46:46 Donovan Mitchell vs Dillon Brooks plus more NBA fights
01:06:13 2023 NBA All-Star snubs and we pick our own
01:30:07 Outro

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA All-Star, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Joel Embiid Snubbed From NBA All-Star Start | TAF260

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Joel Embiid was snubbed from becoming a starter in the 2023 NBA All-Star game, the Philadelphia 76ers are streaking as they took down the Brooklyn Nets and Nikola Jokic, a weird scorekeeper conspiracy surrounding Jaren Jackson Jr., Nets fans now asking for Ben Simmons to be traded, and more!

The starters for the 2023 NBA All-Star game have been announced! Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Tyrese Haliburton were some notable names left off of the list, but others have been debated as snubs as well. Who do you think the biggest starting snub is this year?

Once on a seven-game win streak, the Philadelphia 76ers were looking like serious championship contenders. They had everything clicking and their big three was firing on all cylinders despite Tyrese Maxey moving to a bench role. During rivals week, they took down the Brooklyn Nets and Nikola Jokic in convincing fashion, so is it time to dub them as legit contenders?

Jaren Jackson Jr. has been at the center of one of the weirdest conspiracies in the NBA. If you had scorekeeper conspiracy on your NBA bingo card, then you must have known something that no one else knew. Stemming from Reddit, people found that his stats at home are bolstered way over the ones on the road despite playing the same amount of games for each.

Finally, should Ben Simmons get traded again? Brooklyn Nets fans are fed up with his lack of scoring and aggressiveness. There are memes and tweets galore asking for him to be traded for someone that is actually going to help them come playoff time.

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Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
06:49 Sixers win streak, games against Brooklyn and Nikola Jokic
17:02 Should the Nets trade Ben Simmons?
29:18 LeBron James throws a tantrum after no foul call against Celtics
37:34 Jaren Jackson Jr. and the scorekeeper conspiracy
43:32 Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and NBA All-Star snubs
53:03 Mike’s favorite sports teams, choose one
58:07 Outro

Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Shannon Sharpe, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Rui Hachimura traded, Shannon Sharpe Beefs | TAF259

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Rui Hachimura has been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, Shannon Sharpe beefs with the whole Memphis Grizzlies team, Kyrie Irving tries to keep the Brooklyn Nets afloat, Dejounte Murray airs some grievances against the San Antonio Spurs, Stan Van Gundy makes some points about player health today, and the Atlantic is leading the East! That plus much more!

Rui Hachimura was shipped away from the Washington Wizards after he voiced his feelings about wanting to play more for a bag of peanuts. Kendrick Nunn and a few second-round picks were all it took to get the Lakers an upgrade at the forward spot. The big question will be whether or not he sees more playing time and actually improves from it.

In case you haven’t hear about it yet, Shannon Sharpe got into a yelling match with Dillon Brooks and the Memphis Grizzlies when he was sitting courtside at one of their games. He kept saying that Brooks didn’t want the smoke and by the way he acted, it sure seemed true. Sharpe is not the type of guy to mess around with.

Dejounte Murray went on the All The Smoke Podcast and talked about his time with the San Antonio Spurs and his relationships with Coach Popovich and Tony Parker. Some of it was a surprise, but the parts about Parker seemed to fit the narrative from players that have played with him before.

Then, Stan Van Gundy took to Twitter to ask about the current era’s health issue and why medicine hasn’t evolved enough to keep guys from getting hurt. He pointed out how there are many more small injuries holding guys out and how there are even some big ones that take people out for a whole season. Kevin Durant seemed to agree and we do too.

Finally, the Atlantic Division is leading in the Eastern Conference. Are they the true kings of the East? Kyrie Irving is trying to keep the Brooklyn Nets afloat with Durant sidelined and the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers just keep on rising to the top.

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:08:38 Shannon Sharpe fights with Dillon Brooks and the Grizzlies
00:22:33 Rui Hachimura traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
00:34:14 Dejounte Murray’s comments about the Spurs and Tony Parker
00:53:28 Stan Van Gundy’s comments about player health
01:05:07 Is the Atlantic Division King of the East?
01:24:32 Choose one: Fast food and desserts
01:28:24 outro

Kevin Durant, Injury, Brooklyn Nets, 2023 NBA All-Star, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Kevin Durant Injured, NBA All-Star Voting Returns | TAF258

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files Podcast, Kevin Durant sprains his MCL and will be out for at least a couple weeks, he also does an interview and says NBA fans are entitled, the first round of NBA All-Star voting returns came out, Gregg Popovich talks about the terrible defense of today’s game, Joe Lacob hints at maybe trading one of the Golden State Warriors big three, and more!

Kevin Durant will have to spend some time on the sidelines as he sprained his MCL and has been reported out for at least a few weeks. He will be re-evaluated after that time just in case the healing process doesn’t go as planned. The scare comes from the fact that he missed six weeks with this same injury in seasons prior, but reports have said it’s not as serious as before. Can the Nets stay afloat without their top player?

Durant also gave an interview where he compared today’s game with eras before and how the fans perceive the game today. He said that fans today are entitled because they consume it way more than the generations before them and they have started to take the game for granted. Do you agree with what he had to say?

Then, the first round of NBA All-Star voting returns came out! There were a few surprises but the big names prevailed as usual when it came to the top vote-getters. The biggest issues came from the names that didn’t appear on the list at all!

Finally, there were quotes from Gregg Popovich and Joe Lacob. Coach Pop sarcastically talked about adding a four and five-point shot because nobody wants to play defense anyway. Then, Lacob hinted at trading away one of the original big three before it was too late. Who do you think will be the odd man out?

SUBSCRIBE to Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss a new episode!

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:09:51 Kevin Durant sprained his MCL, out for a couple weeks
00:24:14 Kevin Durant says fans are more entitled these days
00:52:04 NBA All Star 2023 first round voting returns
01:10:42 Joe Lacob hints at trading one of the Golden State Warriors big three
01:15:08 Gregg Popovich jokes about 4 and 5-point shots
01:17:01 Outro