Tag / ben simmons

James Harden, Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, press conference
by Alex Fischbein

Ben Simmons vs James Harden press conferences | The Atlantic Files Ep215

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, both Ben Simmons and James Harden had their introductory press conferences, Derrick White is a great fit in Boston, Victor Oladipo is on his way back to the Miami Heat, and Zion Williamson might need another surgery on his foot.

As everyone has probably seen by now, both James Harden and Ben Simmons had their respective introductory press conferences. Simmons was the first one to go and kept everything very professional. There were no digs at the Philadelphia 76ers and there seemed to be no hard feelings. The surprising part was when he said that the fans, coaches, players, and front office had nothing to do with his mental well-being nor had nothing to do with asking for the trade. Not sure why they were always brought up every step of the way until then.

James Harden, on the other hand, seemed to take some subtle shots at Kyrie Irving and genuinely seemed very excited to finally land with the Sixers. He revealed things like how the Sixers were his number one choice when he was leaving Houston in the first place. He had nothing but great things to say about Philly’s fans and the young players on the team as well as Joel Embiid. So which one of these guys is a liar and who is really telling the truth?

Derrick White has fit seamlessly into the Boston Celtics lineup. He’s been a great addition to the bench squad and now he’s already starting with Marcus Smart suffering an ankle injury. The team was red-hot until running into the Detroit Pistons, but either way, they’re back into the bulk of the playoff race and the rest of their schedule is in their favor.

In good injury news, Victor Oladipo is working his way back to playing again. He was assigned to the Miami Heat’s G-League affiliate team. Could he be the final piece to really push this team over the top and back to the NBA Finals?

Finally, there’s the bad injury news in Zion Williamson. He reportedly may need another surgery on his foot. This rehab process has been lengthy and difficult and now it doesn’t look like the end is in sight. Hopefully, he can get himself healthy and back on the floor!

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
3:25 – James Harden vs Ben Simmons intro press conferences
30:15 – Seth Curry and Andre Drummond looking good for Brooklyn
40:10 – How much does Victor Oladipo help the Miami Heat
43:15 – Derrick White and Boston Celtics are on a hot-streak
59:09 – Zion Williamson might need another surgery

James Harden, Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, trade
by Alex Fischbein

James Harden for Ben Simmons happened | The Atlantic Files Ep214

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, we talk about the trade deadline deals for all teams, but especially the huge trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and picks. The NBA trade deadline was a whirlwind for sure! As a side note, we live streamed this episode to YouTube for anyone who prefers their podcasts in the video realm.

Everyone knows the big news that we had to address right off the bat. James Harden, as well as Paul Millsap, are on the way to Philadelphia to give Joel Embiid and company the help that they so desperately needed to become true title contenders. Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks are on the way to Brooklyn in return. This deal seems to work out very well for both sides as it addresses weaknesses on both sides.

The big debate now is whether or not James Harden can return to true Harden form and help co-lead a team on a deep playoff run. He’s bounced around a lot lately and has shown some big signs of regression. Can he turn it back on?

On the other side, Ben Simmons now has to show how mentally tough he truly can be. If he can’t get over the mental hump, then Brooklyn might have done all of this for nothing. If he does return to his best form though, the Nets could be a very scary team for years to come.

Moving past the big trade, there were a lot of smaller trades that did change the face and future of a lot of teams. Domas Sabonis went to Sacramento in return for Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield. The Pacers rebuild is in full effect and they got themselves an amazing starting piece in Haliburton. Could this push the Kings to the playoffs though? A duo of De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis looks quite great on paper.

The Boston Celtics also made a series of little moves to eventually make the move that brings Derrick White to Boston. They cleared some money, they brought back Daniel Theis, but White is the big name for them this time around. Finally, a guy that can both score and plays defense as a third option and can also be a nice sixth man if need be.

We talk about these trades and much more on the latest episode!

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
0:49 – James Harden for Ben Simmons trade reactions
33:59 – Domantas Sabonis traded to Sacramento for Tyrese Haliburton
43:29 – Milwaukee Bucks land Serge Ibaka
48:59 – Boston Celtics trade for Derrick White
50:38 – Goran Dragic traded for Thad Young
51:39 – New Orleans Pelicans trade for CJ McCollum
56:34 – Montrezzl Harrell heads to Charlotte
57:24 – Dallas Mavericks trade Kristaps Porzingis for Spencer Dinwiddie

New York Knicks, Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, trade
by Alex Fischbein

A New York Knicks fire sale | The Atlantic Files Ep213

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, the New York Knicks seem primed for a fire sale, lots of trade rumors including ones surrounding Dennis Schroder and Goran Dragic, more Ben Simmons drama, and we give some of our mid-year NBA awards!

Reports about potential trade targets for every team have been flying around at rapid speeds. One team that seems to have a ton on sale is the New York Knicks. They’ve reportedly put Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker, Alec Burks, and maybe even Julius Randle on the trade block. That’s a very long way down since their Cinderella story from last season. If they really decide to trade Randle, there are going to be a lot of staff changes as well.

On other trade fronts, there are the Boston Celtics who are trying to unload tons of money to get underneath the luxury tax line. Then, there’s also the Toronto Raptors who are reportedly “almost certain” to trade Goran Dragic by the deadline. Nobody is surprised by that news, but the fact the Celtics are trying to trade someone like Dennis Schroder could be a little surprised. Schroder is on a very team-friendly contract, but with only one year left on it, a lot of teams could come knocking for that.

Look, we know everyone is tired of all the Ben Simmons news and this ridiculous saga. Everyone wants this to end already and that includes both parties that are actually in the middle of it all. However, we must talk about the new Ramona Shelburne report and all the dumb things that Ben Simmons or his camp has said. These are some new all-time lows in this reality show.

Finally, we’re a little over halfway through the NBA season. So, it’s time to revisit some of our pre-season NBA award predictions and then give out our halfway point awards. A lot of players are deserving of a bunch of different awards, but who deserves each one the most?

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
3:11 – 5 trades the New York Knicks can make
30:00 – What teams should call for Dennis Schroder
32:05 – New Ben Simmons report from Ramona Shelburne
45:07 – What’s going on with James Harden and the Sixers
54:29 – Mid-season NBA Awards

Julius Randle, New York Knicks
by Alex Fischbein

What’s up with Julius Randle | The Atlantic Files Ep210

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, Klay Thompson finally returns to the floor, Tobias Harris is now on the block, Julius Randle is feeling the heat in his seat, Joel Embiid is back to his MVP level of play, the Atlanta Hawks are shopping John Collins, and the Memphis Grizzlies are going nuts!

First things first, we wanted to give the shout-out to Klay Thompson on finally returning from his slew of major injuries. Rehabbing from back-to-back injuries of that magnitude is no minor feat. Now, the Golden State Warriors look like they’re going to be big-time favorites to win the Western Conference and even could be NBA Finals favorites on top of that.

Then, there are the more surprising things to take place this season. The Memphis Grizzlies are all of a sudden near the top of the West and Kyle Kuzma has been playing out of his mind. This drove us to the question of which of these two things are the most surprising? Did anyone see the Grizzlies being this good or did they see Kuzma improving as much as he’s showing lately?

Going to the Atlantic, finally. Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers are still in all of the rumor mills and on all of the news sites for more trade talks. This time, they’re actually trying to package Tobias Harris with Ben Simmons in trades. Yes, they’re putting together $80M worth of contracts together and trying to get something out of it. Harris has been a name on this podcast that has been thrown in trades already, but which team is actually willing to take on that contract?

This all brings us to our main topic of Julius Randle. Last season now looks like a very distant memory due to the lack of effort, lack of production, and all-around bad play this year. The Knicks are nowhere near the level that everyone expected after last season, and they could be in danger of only making a play-in tournament spot or even missing the playoffs. Julius Randle was in the highest of graces with the Knicks fans and all of a sudden that came crashing down as he had to tell them to shut up and cursed at them along the way.

Finally, there was another prominent Eastern team working the trade phones. The Atlanta Hawks are now shopping John Collins and they’ve even been linked to the Sixers. At this point, who knows what kind of craziness will go down before the trade deadline.

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
1:34 – Klay Thompson returns!
5:03 – Memphis Grizzlies vs Kyle Kuzma, who’s more surprising?
15:06 – Tobias Harris on the Philadelphia 76ers trade block
25:27 – Joel Embiid back to MVP numbers
31:06 – John Collins is on the block for Atlanta Hawks
37:04 – Julius Randle stinking and New York Knicks fans are fed up

Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers, Sixers, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks
by Alex Fischbein

Oh boy, more Ben Simmons rumors | The Atlantic Files Ep207

This week, on the Atlantic Files, we talk about the teams that were rumored to be new additions in the Ben Simmons sweepstakes! On top of that, Kyrie Irving finally wore some basketball shoes, Alperen Sengun is looking very good, Ray Allen thinks there’s still a discussion for the best shooter, Chicago all caught Covid, and Memphis is all of a sudden the hottest team around without Ja Morant.

Look, we know that we’ve talked about Ben Simmons like crazy this season and even off-season. These rumors are non-stop and now more teams have been added to the so-called sweepstakes. Both the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks are now kicking around the idea of adding Simmons to their teams. Will either one of them have the assets needed to actually satisfy Daryl Morey? That’s still to be determined.

Then, the other player we’ve talked plenty about, Kyrie Irving. He took a picture of him in some basketball shoes and posted it on social media. Hallelujah, he’s finally in some basketball shoes! Will he ever actually use them in an NBA game this year, find out next week on Dragonball!

Covid has been running rampant yet again. This isn’t too much of a surprise since we’re entering flu and sickness season as the weather gets cold in North America. The Chicago Bulls, however, have been hit especially hard. Did everyone just pass it around the moment one guy tested positive? Nine members of the team are all in the health and safety protocols which made the NBA resort to postponing more games. Hopefully, we don’t have to go through much more of this.

Alperen Sengun is one of the top names on Mike Bash’s list. For good reason too, this man is showing flashes of a lot of different centers that have come through the league. His footwork, passing ability, and offensive ability, in general, are all things that Houston Rockets fans should be excited about!

Ray Allen was asked about Stephen Curry being the greatest three-point shooter ever and he said there was still a debate to be had about it. Come on now Ray, just give up the crown to the guy who beat your record in almost half the amount of games that it took you!

Finally, there are the Memphis Grizzlies who are the hottest team in the NBA and they don’t even have their best player on the floor! They’ve been absolutely destroying teams at the same time with their NBA record win-margin over the Oklahoma City Thunder. What’s the secret to their success??

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
1:40 – Ben Simmons now being looked at by Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks
16:15 – Kyrie Irving posted a picture wearing basketball shoes
18:25 – The Chicago Bulls all caught Covid
23:15 – Alperen Sengun is looking pretty great
26:25 – Ray Allen thinks there’s still a debate between him and Stephen Curry
31:25 – Memphis Grizzlies blow teams out without Ja Morant

Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers
by Alex Fischbein

Doc Rivers is an issue | The Atlantic Files Ep206

This week, on the Atlantic Files, we welcome Troy of the Planet 76 Podcast to talk about Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers. We debated whether or not the Sixers needed to trade Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, or both. Also, we took a look at all of the latest Damian Lillard rumors and even the New York Knicks since they’ve benched Kemba Walker.

One of the biggest conversations going around Philly sports circles right now is the coaching from Doc Rivers. His after-timeout play calls, rotations, and playoff resume have been very sketchy. Now, with the team getting back to full strength except for Ben Simmons, his coaching is going to be scrutinized. Every ‘x and o’ matters now when the team isn’t as talented as the ones they’re going to play.

Whenever Ben Simmons is brought up, Tobias Harris’ name now gets thrown into the conversation as well in terms of trade talk. Some Sixers fans want to trade Harris and keep Simmons while others want the opposite. What if the Sixers actually need to trade both of them to truly compete for a title? Can they get anything out of Tobias Harris’ huge contract?

Then, in comes the added Damian Lillard rumors. These days there are new rumors about Lillard wanting to play with Ben Simmons in Portland. On top of that, apparently, Lillard is unhappy with the team and the coaching since it wasn’t the exact coach that he wanted. Also, to add more fuel to the fire, Portland fired their General Manager so nobody knows what that might bring in terms of roster makeup.

Finally, the Knicks aren’t exactly improving ever since their plan to bench Kemba Walker. The offense hasn’t done much more than it already was doing, and the defense doesn’t look improved either. So where do they go from here then? Are we going to see Kemba Walker inserted back into the lineup or are do they have to make some sort of deal?

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
1:18 – Can Doc Rivers coach the Sixers to a championship?
7:18 – Should the Sixers trade both Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons?
15:38 – Damian Lillard apparently wants to play with Ben Simmons
26:51 – Realistic landing spots for Damian Lillard
37:20 – Benching Kemba Walker hasn’t done much for the New York Knicks
41:00 – Troy from Planet 76 Podcast gives his Sixers predictions and talks about the Process

Kemba Walker, New York Knicks
by Alex Fischbein

Kemba Walker gets benched | The Atlantic Files Ep205

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, we welcome friend of the show, Tom Tran! Tom joined us to talk about Kemba Walker being benched, James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets’ offensive struggles, Joel Embiid back from Covid, and a debate about who the next number one pick should be!

The biggest news, by far, is that Kemba Walker is officially out of the rotation right now for the New York Knicks. This was nowhere close to the piece of news any of us thought we’d hear today. Coach Thibodeau must have been tired of giving up tons of leads when Kemba was in. Stat-wise, Kemba did have the worst +/- on the team!

James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets both struggled again on offense against a good opponent. This hasn’t been an uncommon theme so far this season. Harden has looked both out of shape and nothing close to what he was in Houston. When is it time to finally hit the panic button and send out the bat signal for Kyrie Irving?

Joel Embiid finally made his comeback debut from Covid. We’re all thankful that he got over the sickness as he talked about how rough of a battle it was for him. During his first game back, he posted a monster stat line but the Philadelphia 76ers took a tough loss in double overtime against Minnesota. Will the Sixers get back to their original hot streak ways?

Then, around the league, Michael Porter Jr was reportedly undergoing back surgery. He’s going to be out for the rest of the season and the Denver Nuggets are left to pick up the pieces without him and Jamal Murray. Also, are the Phoenix Suns contenders or pretenders?

Finally, we took a look at the upcoming NBA Draft and talked about who should be the next top pick. Who do you have between Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero?

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
2:13 – James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets struggles
18:05 – Phoenix Suns, contenders or pretenders?
25:45 – Michael Porter Jr. is out for the season
33:35 – Joel Embiid back from Covid but Sixers take a loss
51:20 – Kemba Walker is out of the New York Knicks rotation
54:45 – Chet Holmgren or Paolo Banchero, who should be the top pick?

Al Horford, Boston Celtics
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/15/21)

Boston and New York grab themselves a win while Toronto continues their slide. Which makes it weirder that Toronto was also the one with the best offense in their respective games.

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 10-4
Philadelphia 76ers 8-6
New York Knicks 8-6
Boston Celtics 7-7
Toronto Raptors 7-8

So let’s talk about last night!

Al Horford

Al Horford is the one getting highlighted right now, instead of Jayson Tatum, because he made the same amount shots that Tatum did in 10 fewer attempts. He also hit one more three but didn’t get the free throws to bolster his point total. Horford has been playing some very meaningful minutes lately as the Celtics have needed him dearly in every win of theirs. He’s provided the inside presence when Robert Williams isn’t on the floor and he’s also given them some floor spacing and defensive leadership. While it was a great move to bring him back this season, they’re still going to need a bit more than just Horford. He ended up with 17p, 9r, 3a, & 2b.

OG Anunoby

OG Anunoby cashed in another great offensive night for the Toronto Raptors. 29 points on 9-19 from the floor and 6-10 from three is not too shabby of a performance. Everyone in the starting five actually shot 42% or higher, but the bench minutes were the biggest minus in this game. That’s where Portland started pulling away, any time each time had their bench players in. Anunoby, on the other hand, added 6r, 2a, 3s to his 29 and did a great job keeping the Raptors in this game.

Derrick Rose

This New York Knicks game was quite ugly. Which has been the case the last handful of games if we’re being honest. Derrick Rose put together a nice stat line off the bench with 14p, 5r, & 7a. The main reason I decided to highlight him over the leading scorer, Kemba Walker, is because he also took the team on their best scoring runs. Rose was +21 compared to Walker’s -15 because he was affecting the game in more ways than just straight scoring. There have been legitimate arguments for Derrick Rose being moved to starting point guard, but it looks like there are more issues than just that in the month of November.

Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons is receiving fines yet again. This time for missing the team’s west coast road trip. If you listen to the latest episode of our podcast, we talked a bit about this saga and the role Rich Paul is playing in the whole thing. I wish both sides would just set the record straight without having to talk through agents, media, and other talking heads. Once this is resolved, both parties can finally breathe a sigh of relief and just move on with life.

Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Rich Paul, The Atlantic files
by Alex Fischbein

The Atlantic Files Ep203 – Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Rich Paul, who’s worse?

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, Jayson Tatum’s percentages and stats are slipping, Rich Paul might not actually be a good agent, and Kemba Walker isn’t helping too much win-wise.

The Boston Celtics have very well-documented shortcomings. Ime Udoka has been a bit of a disaster as head coach, the supporting cast is bad, and now Jayson Tatum is starting to suffer a bit due to the rest of the team being that bad. As we all know, the offense is run everything through Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Now that Brown is out, Tatum has to score enough to beat teams by himself since no one else is. Looks like only a trade is going to save them now.

Speaking of players who aren’t exactly playing up to expectations, Kemba Walker hasn’t exactly done what the fans hoped he would so far. His offense has been quite limited, his minutes need to be limited so that he doesn’t get hurt, and he’s never exactly been a defensive force. On top of that, the primary guys like Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Evan Fournier have all seen a dip in production in the month of November. This month is a stark difference compared to October.

Rich Paul is yet another guy that we were told is supposed to be very good at what he does. He’s the agent for a lot of NBA players these days and it makes you think that he should be good. Is he really that good of an agent or is he another guy that’s just riding LeBron James’ coattails? His handling of the whole Ben Simmons situation hasn’t exactly made anything easier or closer to a resolution.

After those main topics, we also dive into Tyrese Maxey vs Ben Simmons, Talen Horton-Tucker vs Alex Caruso, Scottie Barnes vs Evan Mobley, and who we all have for MVP!

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
1:25 – Fantasy Basketball debate
7:00 – Scottie Barnes or Evan Mobley for Rookie of the Year
13:10 – What’s happening to Jayson Tatum?
25:30 – Should Kemba Walker be moved to a sixth-man role?
37:10 – Rich Paul really is not a great agent
45:20 – Tyrese Maxey or Ben Simmons, who would you take?
56:10 – Talen Horton-Tucker vs Alex Caruso, did the Los Angeles Lakers make a mistake?
1:00:22 – Who is the real MVP this year, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, or Nikola Jokic?

Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown, Sixers, Celtics, Trade, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

The Atlantic Files ep202: Jaylen Brown for Ben Simmons?!

This week’s episode of the Atlantic Files is a spicy one as we talk about the rumored Ben Simmons for Jaylen Brown trade, Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris fighting, Kyrie Irving still not getting a change for the vaccine mandate, plus some quick-hitter topics about the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors.

First of all, the thought of a Wrestlemania type of fight between the Jokic brothers and the Morris brothers sounds like some amazing television. If you haven’t seen the video of the little spat that Jokic and Markieff Morris had, then you should go check that out and come right back. Nikola Jokic’s even made their own Twitter account to reply to Morris’ tweet about noting that Jokic pushed him when he turned his back. We’re getting our popcorn ready for this one!

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that there were apparently trade talks between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. Those talks were centered around Ben Simmons and Jaylen Brown and included Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and picks. Everyone knows that a haul like that would be way too much for Simmons. Would a Brown for Simmons straight-up trade make any more sense? Brad Stevens might want to get a little crazy in the front office, who knows!

After a bunch of big man injuries, the New York Knicks are starting to slow down from their hot start in the first week or two of the season. Julius Randle is delivering every other game, and the rest of the team is very inconsistent. We know the team will be in playoff contention, but how far can they really go with this version of the team?

Finally, Pascal Siakam made his return from injury this week. For a return from a lengthy absence, it wasn’t a bad game by any means! Now that he’s making his way back to full force, it begs the question of whether or not this team is destined for the playoffs. They’ve played very well without him, now they add his talent, and this team could really surprise a lot of people,

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
1:35 – Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris kerfuffle
20:38 – Ben Simmons for Jaylen Brown trade
38:00 – Kyrie Irving still waiting on a vaccine mandate change
51:08 – Are the New York Knicks good enough to truly compete?
57:38 – Pascal Siakam returns, playoffs for the Toronto Raptors?