June 9, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Quin Snyder left, will Donovan Mitchell? | The Atlantic Files Ep231

Podcast Episode
boston celtics, brooklyn nets, donovan mitchell, golden state warriors, jayson tatum, Kevin Durant, klay thompson, kyrie irving, miami heat, nba finals 2022, pat riley, quin snyder, stephen curry, tyler herro, utah jazz
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On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files Podcast, Quin Snyder resigned from the Utah Jazz, will Donovan Mitchell force his way out as well, the NBA Finals continue as the series is tied 1-1, Tyler Herro’s case to be a starter, Kyrie Irving’s future in Brooklyn, and more!

The biggest news story other than the NBA Finals happening is the fact that Quin Snyder has stepped down from being the head coach of the Utah Jazz. This is during a time when the Jazz are in a state of flux. Rumors of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell not being able to play together have been swirling for a while. Now, does this coaching change mean Mitchell could just force his way out?

Speaking of the NBA Finals, at the time of this recording the series was tied 1-1. We revisited some of our predictions about the Finals and checked if anything has changed since then. Also, we took a deep dive into the stats of the Finals so far and what’s happening for each team.

A little while ago, Tyler Herro said he wants to start for the Miami Heat now that he has accomplished Sixth Man of the Year. Pat Riley made a statement telling him to go into training camp and earn it. All in all, it was a fair statement from Riley, but he probably should be calling out some other players rather than only Herro.

Rumors and Kyrie Irving just seem to go hand-in-hand these days. There have been rumors now that he might sign with the Philadelphia 76ers and then also rumors that he’ll sign an extension with the Brooklyn Nets. Do the Nets really want to pay him all the money he’s going to ask for though?

Finally, the NBA talked about shortening the season and maybe even adding a mid-season tournament. This seems a little ridiculous that we’re talking about lessening the workload for professional athletes especially when the roughest sport of all, football, extended its season by another week. We understand money is the driving factor, but there have to be a lot of other options than just shortening the season.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:52 NBA Finals thoughts, series tied 1-1
00:20:03 Tyler Herro wants to start, Pat Riley says earn it
00:34:50 Quin Snyder resigns, what will Donovan Mitchell do
00:52:53 Kyrie Irving’s future in Brooklyn
00:59:30 Kevin Durant calls out Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless
01:07:51 Should the NBA shorten the season
01:17:34 Jalen Brunson a future Knick?

June 2, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

2022 NBA Finals Preview | The Atlantic Files Ep230

The 2022 NBA Finals are here! To help us preview the Finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors is Alec Walt of the Alec Walt Show on Down the Block Sports! We talk all things 2022 NBA Finals, Boston Celtics, and 2022 NBA Playoffs. Maybe we’ll even sneak in some topics going around in the rumor mill or news desks.

Nobody has had quite the rollercoaster ride of a season like the Boston Celtics. They were on the outside of the play-in and playoffs and everything seemed hopeless for them. So much so that the last time we had Alec Walt on the show, we talked about having to trade either Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum for this team to truly achieve anything.

Now, here we are. The Celtics are set to face off against the Golden State Warriors for the 2022 NBA Finals. We brought Alec on to talk about what happened in the Miami Heat series. It was a very odd series that just traded blowout games until the very end when the Celtics were the last ones standing.

Then, we talked about the full journey of the team and what exactly turned the season around. There were a number of people who showed some tough love and called each other out, and then Brad Stevens also made some big-time moves to help the team.

On the other side, we talked about Stephen Curry and his legacy. There has been talk that he needs to win a Finals MVP just to cement his legacy even though he’s already the greatest shooter this league has ever seen. Is that just for clickbait or do people actually think this stuff?

SUBSCRIBE to Alec’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfkP-VMF1Uhioz23EfjDPtA

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
4:34 – Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat series, what went wrong and right
26:04 – The Boston Celtics journey to the NBA Finals
39:22 – Udonis Haslem hasn’t recovered from loss?!
44:48 – Thoughts on the new Conference Finals MVP awards
47:16 – Steph Curry’s legacy if he wins or loses this NBA Finals
1:00:11 – 2022 NBA Finals predictions

May 26, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Kyrie Irving admits LeGM is true | The Atlantic Files Ep229

This week on the Atlantic Files Podcast, Kyrie Irving admits to the fact that LeBron James was acting as GM, our thoughts on the All-NBA teams for this season, the terrible Los Angeles Lakers coaching search, all the blowouts in the NBA Playoffs, and whether or not DeAndre Ayton deserves a max contract.

Kyrie Irving, on a podcast, talked about the fact that LeBron James was essentially acting as the General Manager when he put together their championship roster. Kyrie even said he wasn’t mad at him for doing so as it helped him get the only ring that he’s won so far. On top of that, he talked about how he had to mature when he played with LeBron, but now we’re wondering where all of that maturity has gone because it hasn’t shown itself in a long time.

Speaking of LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers are on the hunt for a new head coach. Another coach has been driven out of town with LeBron on the team and they have to find a replacement that will last more than one season. For some reason, they keep coming back to Doc Rivers as long as Philly would part ways with him. We’re just wondering why they think that Rivers would all of a sudden lead that team to a ring.

The NBA released all three of the All-NBA teams. The First Team left a lot to be desired with players like Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker making it over Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, and Stephen Curry. Tatum even said that the All-NBA teams should be positionless and we agree. Positions in the NBA have been as meaningless as ever before, so why not make it that way throughout the awards too.

Finally, Deandre Ayton is looking for a new contract from the Phoenix Suns. He and his agent were hoping for a max contract, but the Suns hoped he’d take a pay cut. His talent level definitely isn’t max contract worthy, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he did end up receiving one in his situation.

Timecodes:

0:00 – Intro
3:46 – Los Angeles Lakers head coach search is trash
26:15 – Kyrie Irving admits to LeBron James playing GM
42:19 – Does Deandre Ayton deserve a max contract
46:37 – Our thoughts on the 2022 All-NBA teams

May 18, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Boston Celtics NBA Finals bound? | The Atlantic Files Ep228

This week on the Atlantic Files Podcast, we talk about the absolute embarrassment of a Game Seven that the Phoenix Suns endured, the Boston Celtics taking down the reigning NBA Champs and looking like a surefire championship team, Ja Morant’s injury issues, previews of both Conference Finals, what the Philadelphia 76ers should do with James Harden, whether Doc Rivers or Daryl Morey are at fault for what happened to the Sixers, if Sean Marks was justified in calling out Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, and more!

First of all, the Boston Celtics are the only remaining Atlantic Division team in the NBA Playoffs. They were the ones who started the season in the most disappointing fashion and after turning it completely around, they now look like they can really win a championship. Will they be able to pull off a win over the Miami Heat and then eventually an NBA Finals win?

In the West, the Dallas Mavericks are fresh off of a complete drubbing of the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker talked his way right out of the playoffs as Luka Doncic laughed them right off the court. Now, he has to go up against the dynasty that is the Golden State Warriors. Are the Warriors a lock to make the Finals with their experience?

Ja Morant, after suffering a few injuries during the season, also was injured a couple of times in the playoffs. Is he beginning to be too injury-prone for Memphis to be considered a legit contender?

Since we have both Conference Finals series set in stone, it’s time to preview each one. We give our thoughts on the X-Factors for each series as well as our predictions for who wins in how many games.

Finally, we have a sort of grabbag of a handful of topics. The Philadelphia 76ers have a huge decision to make with James Harden and his contract, Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey are fighting to see who takes the most blame for this season, how would Mike D’Antoni fit in LaMelo Ball and Charlotte’s offense, Sean Marks comments about the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving, and whether the Celtics used a dirty tactic with Robert Williams III injury status.

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
2:48 – Phoenix Suns get embarrassed by Luka Doncic and Dallas Mavericks
17:36 – Boston Celtics took down Milwaukee, are they NBA Finals bound?
27:14 – Celtics acted shady with Robert Williams III injury status
30:34 – Would the Phoenix Suns trade Deandre Ayton
34:03 – Is Mike D’Antoni a good fit for Charlotte and LaMelo Ball
40:13 – Doc Rivers or Daryl Morey, who’s more at fault in Philadelphia
59:24 – NBA Eastern Conference Finals preview
1:09:09 – NBA Western Conference Finals preview

May 10, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Nikola Jokic wins MVP, we guess | The Atlantic Files Ep227

This week on The Atlantic Files Podcast, Nikola Jokic was unofficially named NBA MVP for the second time in two seasons, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo have their legions of fans back them up, Almost all of the NBA Playoffs series are tied 2-2, dirty plays and technical foul discussions, Rudy Gobert vs Shaq, JJ Redick’s awesome rant on ESPN, and the Sacramento Kings hire Mike Brown as their newest head coach.

Based on a Woj report, Nikola Jokic will reportedly go back-to-back for league MVP. The big debate now is whether or not he deserved it over Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jokic had himself a historic season, and the MVP race was one of the closest in recent memory!

The NBA Playoffs are rolling in full force. Most of the series are tied at 2-2 and each one has been very exciting. Lower seeds are grabbing themselves some big wins, and the newer generation of the NBA is really showing its face. Who will move on to the respective Conference Finals and who will flame out?

So far this postseason, there have been a lot of flagrant foul reviews and a lot of talk about dirty plays and scary fouls. Dillon Brooks received a flagrant two and he even got suspended for his foul on Gary Payton II. Ever since then, a lot has been brought up about “the code” of basketball.

Recently on social media, Rudy Gobert commented saying he would lock up Shaquille O’Neal in his prime. This is one of the most laughable statements to have ever been sent into the atmosphere. Are we sure that Gobert wasn’t drunk when he said this?

If you haven’t seen it by now, make sure you go watch JJ Redick’s awesome rant on ESPN when talking about Draymond Green and the undertones of the media. He called out a lot of talking heads that are holding on to very old ways of thinking and we agree with his sentiment!

Finally, the Sacramento Kings have found themselves a new head coach. Mike Brown, the current assistant for the Golden State Warriors will take over head coaching duties next season. They got a great one in Brown, now for the rest of the staff and roster!

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
2:02 – NBA Playoffs analysis from Conference Semifinals
35:17 – Did Nikola Jokic deserve the MVP this season
50:40 – Rudy Gobert thinks he could lock up Shaq
53:28 – Sacramento Kings hire Mike Brown
1:01:02 – JJ Redick makes great argument on ESPN

May 5, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Joel Embiid broke his face | The Atlantic Files Ep226

This week on the Atlantic Files, we welcome Brady from Rotoballer and Tap That Podcast to talk Joel Embiid orbital fracture and mild concussion against Toronto, the Philadelphia 76ers get blown out in Miami, do the Boston Celtics have a chance against the Bucks, what do the Brooklyn Nets do next, Pascal Siakam trade rumors, and do the Utah Jazz stick with Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert?

During the final minutes of Game six, Joel Embiid was elbowed in the face by Pascal Siakam and suffered an orbital fracture. Does the blame for this fall on Doc Rivers’ shoulders or is it just an unfortunate accident? Also, do the Philadelphia 76ers have a chance of taking a game before Embiid gets back and winning the series?

The Boston Celtics suffered a pretty bad loss in Game One of their series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Do they have a chance to come back in this series now that they lost home-court advantage? The reigning champs look as good as ever even without their number two scoring option. Boston’s defense and big two have been on a mission though.

After a very disappointing season, the Brooklyn Nets are now faced with a bunch of tough decisions. Do they extend Kyrie Irving and Bruce Brown? Could they trade Ben Simmons for enough in return to make it worthwhile?

Lately, there have been some rumors surrounding the Toronto Raptors trading Pascal Siakam. This is a big-time headscratcher as Siakam was key in their series against the Sixers. There are lot more moves they can make that don’t involve trading one of their best players.

Finally, the issues in Utah are finally coming to a boiling point. They need to trade either Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell, so who should go?

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
3:54 – Is Joel Embiid’s injury Doc Rivers’ fault?
21:44 – What do the Brooklyn Nets do now in the offseason?
35:15 – Pascal Siakam trade rumors don’t make sense
41:25 – Should the Utah Jazz trade Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell?
50:43 – Will Golden State’s death lineup or Ja Morant prevail?
1:06:17 – Do the Boston Celtics have a chance against the Milwaukee Bucks?

April 28, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Brooklyn Nets get swept | The Atlantic Files Ep225

This week on the Atlantic Files podcast, the Brooklyn Nets officially get swept out of the first round by the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers are starting to look like the first team that will blow a 3-0 lead, Luka Doncic comes back and dominates, and the NBA playoffs roll on!

The biggest topic, especially for our podcast, is the Brooklyn Nets getting swept right out of the first round by the Boston Celtics. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving looked like deer in headlights and the Celtics now all of a sudden look like they’re championship bound. Ime Udoka has the boys in green playing like a superstar-level squad.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the Philadelphia 76ers on the verge of making a bad kind of history. They went up 3-0 on the Toronto Raptors and the entire city of Philadelphia started talking their trash. Now, Joel Embiid is hurt and Toronto has won two straight. Scary times for the Philly fans.

Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry are hurt yet again, but the Miami Heat won their matchup with the Atlanta Hawks anyway. Are the Hawks that bad or are the Heat actually a championship-level team?

Chronicles of the Utah Jazz is taking place as they tank their series against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks as well. It’s time for a blow up and rebuild job in the Salt Lake City!

All of that and more NBA Playoffs topics!

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
2:30 – Can the Toronto Raptors make history?
17:10 – Brooklyn Nets are a mess and Ben Simmons is still missing
28:39 – Are the Boston Celtics championship level?
32:42 – Are the Miami Heat that good or Atlanta Hawks that bad
37:08 – Thoughts on the Ben Simmons James Harden trade now
45:45 – Minnesota Timberwolves blowing leads and KAT fake tough
50:33 – New Orleans Pelicans are looking good!
57:50 – Golden State Warriors back in the title picture

April 21, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Joel Embiid the foul merchant? | The Atlantic Files Ep224

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files Podcast, Joel Embiid continues to be called a foul merchant as the Philadelphia 76ers roll through the Toronto Raptors, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics took game one over the Brooklyn Nets with a buzzer-beater, the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and some of the regular season awards have been handed out and some questionable finalists have been announced!

On top of the big topics this week, we recorded our live reactions to the Celtics vs Nets and Sixers vs Raptors games as they went on during the time we were recording!

Toronto Raptors fans, players, and even coaches have all been complaining about foul calls against the Sixers. Joel Embiid and James Harden have gone to the line quite a bit through the first two games and of course that must mean there’s a conspiracy. Embiid ended up hitting a game-winning three and took more jumpers than the first two games as the Sixers still won. So what’s the excuse now?

In the other Atlantic matchup, the Boston Celtics are now up 2-0! Jayson Tatum hit his own game-winning shot in game one and then Kevin Durant absolutely disappeared in game two. Mike had to drop off the podcast to focus on the game as it was slipping through the Nets’ fingers before our eyes.

Devin Booker injured his hamstring in a game where the New Orleans Pelicans stole a game on the road. Now he’s out for two games in New Orleans and the Pelicans’ chances all of a sudden skyrocketed compared to what they were before. Could they pull off the upset?

Marcus Smart was named Defensive Player of the Year and was the first lead guard to get the award since Gary Payton. Is he the most deserving of the award, or should Mikal Bridges or Rudy Gobert have won?

Finally, Nikola Jokic got ejected and his Denver Nuggets were blown out in the first two games against the Golden State Warriors. It seems like he’s going to be named the MVP, but his MVP ways aren’t helping the team win any games in the playoffs so far.

Chapters:
0:00 – Intro
2:10 – Marcus Smart wins DPoY
7:06 – Live look and reaction of Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Game 2
11:51 – Devin Booker injured, can New Orleans win
20:15 – Live look and reaction to Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors Game 3
25:47 – Tyrese Maxey and Jordan Poole snubbed for MIP
35:11 – Check in with Nets vs Celtics
38:14 – Nikola Jokic ejected and blown out by the Warriors
41:41 – Should the Utah Jazz blow it up and restart
45:52 – Another check-in with Nets vs Celtics
46:27 – Nick Nurse and Raptors complaining too much

April 14, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

2022 NBA Playoff predictions | The Atlantic Files Ep223

This week on the Atlantic Files Podcast, as the NBA play-in games take place we predict what will happen with the 2022 NBA Playoffs, predictions for all of the end-of-the-year awards, Dennis has some things to say about the Los Angeles Lakers, Matisse Thybulle lets his team down, Adam Silver has a resting problem in the NBA, and more!

The 2022 NBA Playoffs have arrived! At the time of this recording, the final seeds of each conference were still being decided. One more play-in game and then we officially have the playoff bracket filled out and ready to go. We give all of our predictions throughout the entire 2022 playoffs!

We’ve talked about them a couple of times now, but we wanted to make one final statement about the 2022 NBA regular season awards as well. We give our final predictions on those and even debate the MVP in terms of Nikola Jokic versus Joel Embiid and who deserves to take the home award more.

Dennis wasn’t able to join the episode last week when we originally talked about the Los Angeles Lakers. He wanted to let the world know how much the Lakers suck and that the blame falling on Russell Westbrook is not all deserving. Sure, he might not have played like the normal Westbrook, but the team had a lot more flaws. Also, we talk about who the next coach could be.

Matisse Thybulle now can’t play in Toronto during the playoffs. Of course, the Philadelphia 76ers drew the Toronto Raptors in their first round matchup so now he can’t play three of the possible seven games in the series. This is going to throw a huge wrench in their defense. Can the Sixers advance?

Finally, some off-basketball topics we discuss are the fact that Alex got engaged this past weekend, Mike being in the final week of tax season, and Bosco the dog making a guest appearance along with Alex’s fiance Deanna!

Chapters:
0:00 – Intro and Alex got engaged!
6:51 – Los Angeles Lakers suck
19:19 – Steph Curry turns down playing with LeBron
22:28 – 2022 NBA Playoffs Predictions
53:15 – Matisse Thybulle can’t play in Toronto
56:23 – More NBA Playoffs predictions
1:02:45 – Final regular season award predictions

April 7, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

LeBron and Los Angeles Lakers crumble | The Atlantic Files Ep222

This week on the Atlantic Files Podcast, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are officially eliminated from the playoffs and rumors of Doc Rivers taking over as head coach has already begun, Ben Simmons officially files a grievance against the Philadelphia 76ers, Chris Paul sets another win record for yet another team, and the play-in teams are finally decided!

As we’re sure you’ve heard by now from the numerous media outlets, the Los Angeles Lakers are officially out of the playoffs! The “good on paper, but old on the court” strategy did not go so well for them this year. Plenty of moves are in store for them in the off-season, and it’s bound to get crazy.

One of those moves seems to be for a new head coach. Doc Rivers, even though he’s still coaching for the Philadelphia 76ers and hasn’t been rumored to be fired, is near the top of the list to come coach in LA. Not exactly sure how that works since he still has a job elsewhere, but hey, it’s LeBron and the Lakers, rules don’t apply.

Almost all of the play-in tournament games are decided at this point. The only one waiting is the seventh seed out West between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Either way, we give our predictions on who would be coming out of each play-in tournament in both conferences.

Another chapter to the Ben Simmons saga has officially been added. He officially filed the rumored grievance against the Sixers to recoup somewhere around $20M. This will surely take away all attention from the team only hovering around an eighth or ninth seed, right?

Finally, Chris Paul adds more to his impressive resume. He has now been a part of four separate teams’ records for most wins in a single season. He’s helped the Hornets, Clippers, Rockets, and now Suns all reach their best win total for a season. That’s insane!

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro and Season Ticket debacle
3:35 – The NBA play-in tournament and who will win
17:52 – Los Angeles Lakers eliminated & Windhorst report
21:42 – Doc Rivers the next Lakers head coach?
26:41 – Chris Paul sets another single-season win record
28:26 – Ben Simmons files a grievance and out through play-in tourney
30:00 – Closing thoughts