Tag / bradley beal

by Alex Fischbein

NBA Christmas Reactions, Jalen Brunson The 1A | TAF299

On episode 299 of The Atlantic Files, we react to the NBA Christmas day games, give our thoughts on Becky Hammon saying Jalen Brunson is too small to be a 1A, Kevin Durant expressing frustration with the Phoenix Suns health and role players, and the Detroit Pistons losing streak.

Becky Hammon was on ESPN as their panel talked about the New York Knicks and whether or not they can seriously compete for the NBA Finals. She said they didn’t have that 1A player and explained that Jalen Brunson is a great player but he’s too small to be a 1A. Does she make any good points there or is Brunson a lot better than she gives credit?

The 2023 NBA Christmas Day games gave a mixed bag of entertainment while some superstars didn’t even play and others gave us the performance of a lifetime. Dennis and Alex give their thoughts on the outcomes of each game and whether or not these are signs of things to come for the rest of the season.

Speaking of Christmas games, Kevin Durant is apparently now getting frustrated with the health of his new big three and the talent of the supporting cast. No one is really sure what else he expected when the team went out and got Bradley Beal and traded all of their assets to get him and Beal in the first place. Does anyone actually feel bad for him as well?

Finally, the Detroit Pistons made history for the wrong reasons. They’re now the owners of the longest losing streak in a single NBA season and they could potentially add on to that streak. Is this team actually that bad or are they just hitting some really bad luck?

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro and Christmas movies
00:18:43 The Detroit Pistons historic losing streak
00:43:25 Becky Hammon’s comments about Jalen Brunson
01:00:22 2023 NBA Christmas game reactions
01:15:28 Kevin Durant upset in Phoenix
01:32:13 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Bradley Beal Finally Traded To The Phoenix Suns | TAF276

In episode 276 of The Atlantic Files, Bradley Beal finally waives his no-trade clause to go to the Phoenix Suns, Chris Paul heads to Washington with a possibility of another trade or free agency, Draymond Green heads to free agency after declining his option, James Harden may be coming back to Philadelphia now, and much more!

Bradley Beal is finally free of the clutches of mediocrity and on his way to create a superteam in Phoenix with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. The Wizards didn’t get much in return, but they cleared up a ton of cap space for years to come. The biggest question mark will be whether or not the Suns can stay healthy enough to actually make the NBA Finals let alone win it all.

Now, with Chris Paul heading to Washington, the next step is to figure out where they’re going to ship him next. The leading odds seem to be either of the two teams in Los Angeles, but no one is sure if that’s going to be after getting waived or in a trade.

Then, there’s James Harden still floating around after his unsuccessful leverage play with the Houston Rockets. So he’s likely to return to Philadelphia with the hope that he still gets what he wanted in terms of more money and the freedom to play basketball as he wants. It doesn’t seem like his style of basketball is going to win anything important anytime soon though.

Finally, we go over all of the rumors and happenings across the league ahead of the NBA Draft and free agency. Draymond Green declined his option, Jonathan Kuminga could be traded, Fred VanVleet is seeking $30 million from a team in free agency, the Raptors still don’t want to trade OG Anunoby, and more!

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:15:54 Bradley Beal traded to Phoenix
00:30:49 Where Will Chris Paul go?
00:36:35 James Harden back to Philadelphia now
00:42:01 NBA Trade, free agency, and Draft rumors
01:04:16 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets Win The NBA Championship | TAF275

In episode 275 of The Atlantic Files, the Denver Nuggets win the NBA Championship in 5 while Nikola Jokic wins Finals MVP, the weird road that was the NBA Playoffs, early predictions and feelings about the offseason, where Chris Paul could land, Fred VanVleet will decline his player option, the Toronto Raptors hire a new head coach and much more!

Mike’s prediction from three or four years ago has finally come true as Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets get their first ring. Jokic brought the dominant form that he’s shown all year and even got himself a Finals MVP trophy to show for it. Can we expect more of the same from Denver as they potentially form a dynasty, or will the rest of the league catch on and end their run at one championship?

Then, on the very opposite of the spectrum of basketball events, Zion Williamson has gotten into quite a sticky situation. He welcomed his first child but that just dug out some skeletons in his closet that he was not hoping to reveal any time soon. There are now some scorned women cursing his name, so we break it all down tweet by tweet and text by text.

Moving back to actual basketball topics, Doc Rivers appeared on Bill Simmons podcast to talk about the Sixers, Celtics, and everything in between. He had some words about coaching James Harden and Joel Embiid, neither of them being that great. He was also asked the age-old question about the “losing culture” that the process has left behind. Oh boy!

Finally, we take a look at all the rumors going around the league. Bradley Beal is back in trade rumors for multiple teams, Chris Paul is most likely going to see a change of scenery, Jonathan Kuminga could be dealt for the right price, Fred VanVleet opted out of his option so that he could check out free agency, and more!

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:06:38 Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets win a ring
00:21:07 Jokic better than Shaq all-time?!
00:28:57 Zion Williamson’s women situation
00:57:10 Doc Rivers comments on Bill Simmons pod
01:09:16 Rumors around Beal, Chris Paul, VanVleet, and more
01:24:09 Outro

Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors, The Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Scottie Barnes’ Sophomore Slump | TAF254

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files Podcast, Scottie Barnes continues to have a rough sophomore season for the Toronto Raptors, James Harden struggles in his return from injury, Anthony Davis is dominating the league and staying healthy, Bradley Beal admits that no winning teams gave him an offer, Trae Young and Nate McMillan aren’t seeing eye-to-eye, and more!

Many basketball pundits and Twitter basketball “experts” have been commenting on Scottie Barnes’s lackluster season so far. He was expected to take a huge leap in his sophomore year but has struggled from time to time as he gets used to teams writing up game plans against him. He’s going to be just as fine as he has shown improvement in other areas of his game whether his scoring is down or not.

James Harden returned to the court with the Philadelphia 76ers after around a month of sitting out. Against his former team, the Houston Rockets, he certainly showed a lot of rust. He didn’t shoot well and turned the ball over in crucial moments during a double-overtime loss.

Anthony Davis caught a lot of flack from us on this podcast. His health was always in question and he was missing more games than he was playing. This season, however, he’s been playing through almost anything and he’s returned to a dominant force. Seeing him dominate again has been a great sight for the Los Angeles Lakers fans.

In a surprising quote, Bradley Beal admitted to not getting any offers from winning teams in the off-season. Usually, players of his status don’t admit something like that. There’s not much surprise to go with that statement though. Winning teams often don’t have the money to sign a star player to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Finally, there was some fighting between Trae Young and Nate McMillan. The two of them aren’t in agreement in terms of the ways that Young was treating the team and the coach. Some analysts have compared the situation to Zach Wilson with the New York Jets which is very alarming.

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:04:27 Scottie Barnes Sophomore Slump, concerned or not
00:16:16 James Harden returns and plays like crap, Philadelphia 76ers lose
00:37:54 Anthony Davis is out here dominating
00:47:29 Bradley Beal didn’t get any offers from winning teams
01:04:51 Trae Young and Nate McMillan have beef now
01:17:20 Mike calls into the show from the road
01:23:27 Outro

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets, 2022 NBA Free Agency, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Kyrie Irving is not dependable | The Atlantic Files Ep234

This week on the Atlantic Files podcast, Kyrie Irving caused a lot of drama and rumors surrounding the Brooklyn Nets, John Wall is heading to Los Angeles, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook are both staying put, and an NBA Free Agency preview!

Before any of the NBA Free Agency officially kicked off, we already have some trades and news of opt-outs coming in. John Wall is one who is working on a buyout with the Houston Rockets and apparently has also decided to go to the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s been a very long time since we’ve even seen Wall play an NBA game, so teaming up with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard should be very interesting.

Bradley Beal opted out as well, but he’s expected to sign a five-year supermax with the Washington Wizards. Also, Russell Westbrook is staying put as he opted in to his option with the Los Angeles Lakers. Beal’s part is a little surprising due to all of the rumors about him being traded. The longer and bigger contract is probably a little more difficult to actually trade. Westbrook, on the other hand, is quite expected. Now the Lakers have to figure out if they want to just use him as a scapegoat again or actually trade him for some supporting pieces.

The big topic of this week’s episode is Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets. There were tons of conflicting rumors that said Kyrie is either looking for a sign-and-trade or he’s staying in Brooklyn. A rumor that came out of the mess was that the Nets thought Kyrie was not dependable and that apparently upset Kyrie. News flash, anyone can see the amount of games he’s played in Brooklyn and realize that he is the farthest thing from dependable!

Finally, we preview the rest of the 2022 NBA free agency and all of the potential free agents that could be moving teams this off-season. A lot of quality role players are on the market and the championship contending teams could be making tons of trades and signings!

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:31 Kyrie Irving is the least dependable on the Brooklyn Nets
00:16:04 John Wall heading to the Los Angeles Clippers!
00:26:31 Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook staying put
00:41:28 2022 NBA Free Agency Preview

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Anthony Davis has a bold strategy | The Atlantic Files Ep232

This week on the Atlantic Files podcast, we welcome Alex Burns to the show! He’s a fantasy basketball writer for RotoBaller and covers the Miami Heat for The Lead! Topics of discussion this week include Anthony Davis not shooting a basketball in months, the struggling offenses for both teams in the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors taking a 3-2 lead, the Miami Heat reportedly interested in James Wiseman, if Zion Williamson is worth the max or not, Bradley Beal’s future in DC, and the big men that could be on the move!

Being a Miami Heat fan and writer for The Lead, Alex Burns had to come on and give us some information on the Heat’s interest in James Wiseman. It’s rumored that he’s their target, but we were wondering what would happen with Bam Adebayo then. He also talks about the feeling of Jimmy Butler beating his former team in the playoffs, but that wasn’t nearly as fun to talk about.

We also had to talk NBA Finals, of course. After Game Five, the Golden State Warriors took a 3-2 lead over the Boston Celtics, and the chances that this young Celtics team could take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy are looking slimmer. Jayson Tatum isn’t exactly playing up to expectations, while Andrew Wiggins is exceeding all expectations on the other side. Everyone on the show had the Warriors winning but in different amounts of games.

Then, it comes to Anthony Davis and his shocking information. He admitted that he hasn’t even shot a basketball since April 9 of this year. He tried to clarify this by saying that’s what he always he does because works on improving his body before his basketball skills, but that hasn’t seemed to work too much over the years. So, something might just need to change with this regimen.

Finally, we wrap things up with whether or not Zion Williamson is worth a max contract, Bradley Beal’s unlikely future in Washington, and all of the big men that are rumored to be on the move this offseason. Tune in to hear all of our thoughts!

FOLLOW ALEX BURNS!
https://twitter.com/aburnshoops
https://www.rotoballer.com/author/alexburnshoops

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:16 Alex Burns gives Dennis his flowers
00:02:31 Alex and Dennis give their most incorrect ranked player
00:07:03 NBA Finals Game 5, Warriors take 3-2 lead
00:22:12 Miami Heat interested in James Wiseman, where does Bam Adebayo go
00:39:59 Anthony Davis hasn’t shot a basketball since April
00:47:37 Is Zion Williamson worth a max contract
00:51:40 Centers on the Free Agency market
01:00:21 Bradley Beal’s future with the Washington Wizards

philadelphia 76ers, bradley beal, james harden, joel embiid
by Alex Fischbein

Bradley Beal to Philly too?! | The Atlantic Files Ep218

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, we talk about the rumors from Andrew Bogut that Bradley Beal wants to team up with James Harden and Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons is filing a grievance against the Sixers, all of this hate against Russell Westbrook, Zion Williamson all of a sudden getting healthy, some Los Angeles Clippers conditionals, and who we want to start a team out of Ja Morant, Trae Young, or Luka Doncic.

What seemed to be out of nowhere, Andrew Bogut dropped a rumor on everyone that Bradley Beal now wants to make a super team in Philadelphia. He apparently wants to go team up with James Harden and Joel Embiid! Obviously, a lot of things have to happen in terms of the cap room and trades for this to happen, but the thought of it is quite crazy. That would be one deadly offensive team.

On the uglier side of all the trade fallout, Ben Simmons is filing a grievance against the Philadelphia 76ers to recoup some of the money that he lost in all the games and practices that he didn’t show up for. He’s reportedly going to use the reaction from the fans to prove how hostile the environment was so he has a more thorough case. Not sure what else to say other than, yikes!

Then, all of a sudden Zion Williamson is getting healthy, dropping some weight, and somewhat close to returning to the New Orleans Pelicans. Not sure how it all happened so fast, but they could be a dangerous team to face come playoff time if he’s suiting up!

Speaking of injured superstars coming back, there have been some videos of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard working their ways back. If they came back does this make the Los Angeles Clippers automatic title favorites?

Finally, we wonder which young star would be the best player to build a new team around. Would you take Luka Doncic, Trae Young, or Ja Morant? All three are incredible and playing some amazing basketball. Which one really could take your team to the promised land though?

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
4:20 – Stop with the Russell Westbrook hate
21:05 – Bradley Beal heading to Philly in the off-season
33:30 – Ben Simmons filing a grievance against the Sixers
48:13 – Zion Williamson all of a sudden coming back
55:09 – Los Angeles Clippers favorites with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard back?
1:02:48 – Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, or Trae Young?

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
by Alex Fischbein

State of the Boston Celtics | The Atlantic Files Ep211

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, Alec Walt of Down The Block Sports and the Alec Walt Show joins the show to talk about the state of the Boston Celtics and the 2022 NBA All-Star vote returns!

Alec Walt is a friend of the show as well as a Boston Celtics expert. He’s broken down every aspect of the team over the years he’s been covering sports and he’s an avid sports fan and analyst in all different avenues of sports. You’ll find the link to his show below!

The Boston Celtics have been a head-scratching sort of team this season. They have two of the brightest young stars in the league with the tandem of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, but that’s where it pretty much ends. Everyone else on the roster except for maybe Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III isn’t much to write home about. On top of that, they have a rookie head coach who has made some very questionable decisions so far.

Now, the age-old question comes about. Will the Boston Celtics make a trade and will it be one of their young stars on the move? Jaylen Brown has had a lot of buzz in the rumor mill about potentially being shipped away. Maybe that’s what this team needs to bring in a guy like Bradley Beal.

Say they make a deal, however, is Ime Udoka the one that leads this team to the promised land? Should he even last as head coach for more than this one season?

After all of our Boston Celtics conversations, we brought up the latest voting returns for the 2022 NBA All-Star game. Some of these fans have gone crazy with which players are currently listed as a starter and others who aren’t even close. This All-Star game is going to be one of the weirdest if all of these results hold up.

Check out the Alec Walt Show on Down The Block Sports: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfkP-VMF1Uhioz23EfjDPtA

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
1:48 – Boston Celtics breakdown, how’d they get here?
12:37 – Should the Celtics trade either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown
23:13 – Myles Turner a potential trade target?
31:17 – Should the Celtics keep Ime Udoka for more than one year?
37:29 – 2022 NBA All-Star voting returns

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?