Tag / boston celtics

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?

Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/13/21)

The Atlantic suffered a rough go of it last night. Out of the three teams that played, not one of them pulled out a win.

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 9-4
Philadelphia 76ers 8-6
New York Knicks 7-6
Toronto Raptors 7-7
Boston Celtics 6-7

So let’s get to it and talk about last night.

Tobias Harris

Tobias Harris is getting himself right back into the flow now. He’s getting back to his three-level scoring, but just a little inefficient at the moment. The bout of Covid he dealt with sounded like it was going to keep him out for much longer. So, we’re glad he’s just back in general! The biggest issue is that the team is on a four-game skid now and they’re going to have to figure something out since Joel Embiid is still out. Harris finished up this one with 32p, 11r, & 3a.

Pascal Siakam

Pascal Siakam is back baby! I know this was his second game back, but he was reeeeally back in this game. The experiment of him at the five in the starting squad hasn’t been too shabby. His offensive versatility as a five is only matched by very few players, but the defense and rebounding against true fives is the real question. Either way, it was nice seeing him get into the thick of the action and get scrappy with his buckets. He ended the game with 25p, 12r, 7a.

Robert Williams III

Robert Williams continues to play some very good basketball for Boston. Sometimes I scratch my head wondering why they don’t run some more things through him. Yes, his offensive game is a little limited, but expanding the inside game would only help take some heat off of Jayson Tatum and company. His rebounding and defense have been a major key for this team. DJ Khaled would even agree! His stat line for the night was 13p, 16r, 3a, & 3b.

Dennis Schroder, Boston Celtics
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/12/21)

Overtime games, near triple-doubles, and a disappointing loss. I’ll let you guess which refers to which team!

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets 9-4
Philadelphia 76ers 8-5
New York Knicks 7-6
Toronto Raptors 7-6
Boston Celtics 6-6

Anyway, let’s talk about last night!

Dennis Schroder

We finally have a Dennis Schroder game! Boston took the reigning champs to overtime and got themselves a hard-fought win! In retrospect, it probably shouldn’t have been this hard to beat a Giannis-less Bucks team, but nevertheless, a win is a win. Schroder had himself a night to lead Boston to the win. He finished with 38p, 8r, & 3a! His mission continues to prove he’s worth more than the contract he signed this off-season.

James Harden

James Harden is back again doing James Harden things! Hitting threes, step-backs, attacking the rim, and finding the open man. Love watching his game when he’s running at 100%. When he and KD are playing like they did last night, then the Brooklyn Nets are truly the team that everyone should be scared about! He ended up with 39p, 5r, 12a on 11-18 FG & 6-10 3P.

Alec Burks

Alec Burks had quite the efficient night off the bench and even had the most amount of rebounds on the team. That fact alone about rebounds should tell you a lot. He continues to be a very nice rotational piece for the Knicks, but this loss was outside of his power. He delivered in his 25 minutes and the rest of the bench actually had a positive +/- as well. The starters, however, did not keep their end of the bargain.

Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/10/21)

The entire Atlantic except for the Sixers got some action last night. They went an even 2-2, but that isn’t exactly fair since two went head-to-head. How about this November weather on the East Coast though, right? This stuff is weird!

Standings:
Philadelphia 76ers 8-4
Brooklyn Nets 8-4
New York Knicks 7-5
Toronto Raptors 6-6
Boston Celtics 5-6

Anyway, let’s talk about last night.

Kevin Durant

Look, I usually don’t like to mention the same player that often, but with Kevin Durant… How can I not continue to mention him?! He’s leading the league in scoring and only missed ONE shot last night. He took 12 total shots and ended with 30 points! The Brooklyn Nets really need to just make the NBA Finals already because it’s long overdue to see Durant playing in it again.

Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley popped off real quick in their game against the Bucks. While they did lose by 12, he still shot 50% from the floor and finished with 18p, 5r, & 4a. His minutes have been a little sporadic as Thibs just works some lineup magic all the time. Not sure if magic might be the correct word, but you catch my drift. Quickley is still one of the better offensive talents at his age and continues to grow. A lot of the time, I’d probably rather have him on the floor than Evan Fournier.

Robert Williams

Am I finally highlighting the Time Lord, Robert Williams, right now? Why yes, yes I am! He’s continued to be the steadying force in the middle for the Boston Celtics and that was on full display against the Toronto Raptors. 16p, 13r, 2s, & 1b was the stat line he produced. His offensive rebounds are always the best part because this team does jack a good amount of shots and he at least gives them some extra chances to jack some more.

Scottie Barnes

On the other side of the Celtics game, the rookie Scottie Barnes had himself another good night. I’d say he was the best of the bunch when it comes to the starters. His line was 21p, 7r, & 4a and shot 63.6% from the floor. His all-around game continues to shine and each game it improves a little more. With Pascal Siakam back on the floor, the next hurdle is how to figure out how to play well together since they’re running lineups with Siakam at center and Barnes at power forward.

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?

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/6/21)

Philadelphia kept it rolling with 6 wins in a row now as the Celtics just barely missed out on beating the Mavs!

Standings:
Philadelphia 76ers 8-2
Brooklyn Nets 6-3
New York Knicks 6-3
Toronto Raptors 6-4
Boston Celtics 4-6

Let’s talk about last night!

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid was back to his normal self last night after a lot of speculation about his knee and whether he could return to his level from last season. Well, last night was definitely the EMVPIID. He’s a dominant force, especially whenever he faces the Bulls. Vucevic was never really able to guard Embiid during their matchups anyway, so that was a recipe for disaster whenever he’s in the game. He finished with 30p, 15r, 3a.

Furkan Korkmaz

Furkan Korkmaz was living up to his Turkish Delight nickname! This man is turning out to be an elite bench player that every single team would want especially when they’re making a playoff run. His shooting from three has been great, his limited point guard play has been great, and his defense is still improving. Especially when other shooters are on the floor and Embiid is occupying the middle, Korkmaz opens up a lot of the floor.

Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum did everything he could to will the Celtics to a win. Jaylen Brown was out so the offense naturally had to run through only Tatum. They really need a major move to happen soon or else this season could be a big boost. Tatum did finish the game with 32p, 11r, 2a, 2s.

Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers, Sixers
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/4/21)

The star players on both of the Celtics and Sixers didn’t exactly look star-ish in their respective games. Which does seem to be a common theme throughout the league. Some blame the new basketball, others blame the new foul rules, but people like Seth Curry just keep getting buckets anyway.

Standings:
Philadelphia 76ers 7-2
Toronto Raptors 6-3
Brooklyn Nets 5-3
New York Knicks 5-3
Boston Celtics 4-5

Let’s talk about last night.

Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey, on his 21st birthday, looked every bit of dynamic that has been advertised. His first step is already elite and he can hit a burst of speed at any time that not many other NBA players can do. In this game, however, he was flashing his three-point shooting ability along with his finishing skills at the rim. If he can keep these kinds of games going, all they need is a backup point guard in that department!

Shake Milton

Shake Milton had himself a very nice game in his spot start. Harris, Korkmaz, Simmons, Green, and Isaiah Joe were all out so it was his chance to really shine. Shine he did with a stat line of 16p, 8r, 5a, & 2s. His offense came at very timely possessions and he gave the team another creator on the floor. Sometimes he still just needs to take the open shot instead of always pump faking and driving into the defense.

Aaron Nesmith

Aaron Nesmith had the kind of game that tells his coach, “Hey, you should play me more!” In a game where neither team could hit the broad side of a barn, Nesmith provided some MUCH needed shot-making. He put up 13p, 3r on 5-8 FG & 3-5 3P. Honestly, I’m not really sure why he isn’t playing all that much because it can’t be much worse than what’s going on right now. Especially when you have Tatum and Brown going a combined 8-27… Shout out the Boston Celtics defense though that did have a second consecutive good outing!

Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (11/3/21)

All five Atlantic teams were in action, but the Knicks were the only ones to not grab a win. A lot of teams debuted their city edition jerseys and courts as well!

Standings:
Philadelphia 76ers 6-2
Toronto Raptors 6-3
Brooklyn Nets 5-3
New York Knicks 5-3
Boston Celtics 3-5

Let’s talk about last night!

Fred VanVleet

Fred VanVleet was nearly unstoppable last night! He shot 50% or better from the field overall and from three. His separation on any of his dribble moves was insane and he was consistently giving himself open shots all night long. On top of that, he worked the pick and roll to perfection and even attacked the lane with ease. He finished with 33 points & 6 assists.

Seth Curry

Here’s your reminder that the Dallas Mavericks really traded away Seth Curry for Josh Richardson. Yes, the same Richardson who isn’t even on the team anymore! Curry has proven to be one of the most underrated offensive talents in the league right now. Plus, he’s played a big part in showing that Ben Simmons is quite expendable as he keeps contributing to winning more and more games. This win against a very good Chicago team was huge as they didn’t even have their second-leading scorer in Tobias Harris either. Curry finished 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists on 9-14 FG & 2-4 3P.

Jaylen Brown

This game was Jaylen Brown’s turn to go crazy in the scoring department as he put up 28 points on 58.8% shooting compared to Jayson Tatum’s 14 points on 25%. It was reported that the team had ‘an emotional’ meeting after Smart’s comments. Not sure if we can say the meeting changed anything in terms of on-the-court production, but they did get a much-needed win!

RJ Barrett

The Knicks had a really tough night shooting the three as they went 5-24 as a team. RJ Barrett was the high-man, as he has been the last couple games, with 23 points on 40% shooting. His defense has improved and his offense is coming along too. As a team though, it looks like they’re hitting a little wall at the moment. To be fair, the Pacers couldn’t miss in this latest game as they shot 46.2% from the floor as a team.

Kevin Durant

There’s not much more to be said about Kevin Durant that hasn’t already been said. He’s a walking video game. He’s a cheat code. He’s not human. If you don’t have him in your top 3 of greatest scorers ever, you’re just wrong.

Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum
by Alex Fischbein

The Atlantic Files Ep201: Boston Celtics are crumbling

This week on the Atlantic Files, the Boston Celtics are crumbling as we speak, Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors are on a hot streak, and all of a sudden the Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Chicago Bulls are at the top of the East.

First of all, the Boston Celtics have plenty of time to not crumble and get themselves back together. Marcus Smart called out Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for hogging the ball, especially at the end of games. He said it’s something that they’ll definitely learn from and they’ll get back on track. This sounded more like something he’s been trying to tell them behind closed doors for a long time and since they weren’t listening he finally said something to the press.

Then there’s James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets. Harden hasn’t looked like his usual self until just recently. He finally started attacking the rim, hitting his usual step-back jumpers, and wreaking havoc in the lane. A lot has been said about him being out of shape due to rehabbing during the off-season on top of the fact he’s getting used to the new foul rules. Does anything need to change on the Nets front to make sure they succeed without Kyrie Irving?

Another Atlantic team is surprising a lot of people at the moment. The Toronto Raptors have hit a little stride early on in the season. Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr. have all been improving and showing some great offensive flashes on top of a pretty fun defensive system to watch. This team is fun and they’re finally playing like it!

Finally, we have the Chicago Bulls at the top of the East along with two surprising teams. Both the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards were not supposed to be this high in the standings at all. Which of these two teams are the most for real? LaMelo Ball might actually be a real MVP candidate which is a scary thought!

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
1:15 – James Harden doesn’t look right
8:20 – Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors
19:00 – Chicago Bulls are top of the East
29:00 – The Boston Celtics are crumbling and Marcus Smart is calling people out
40:30 – Who is an actual playoff team, Charlotte Hornets or Washington Wizards?