January 4, 2023 by Alex Fischbein

Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics Now At The Top | TAF257

This week on The Atlantic Files Podcast, the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics are the top two seeds in the East while the Philadelphia 76ers are fifth, offensive explosions have happened everywhere including Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, LeBron James, and more, the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic got into a fight, Grayson Allen is still dirty, and some surprising teams are rising in the West! That plus much more!

The Atlantic Division is rising once again as the Celtics and Nets occupy the two top seeds in the East while the Sixers are just a few games back in fifth and the Knicks are battling for the play-in. Lagging behind is the Toronto Raptors who still have plenty of time to right the ship and make it into the play-in games.

Across the league, there have been some fantastic offensive games and record-breaking nights. Joel Embiid had his historic night, Luka Doncic had a 60-point triple-double, Donovan Mitchell scored 71 points in a game, and LeBron James scored 40 on his 38th birthday, and that’s just naming a few. We’re in an offensive renaissance right now!

In case people haven’t heard, the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons got into a fight which resulted in a handful of suspensions. Some think it could have been a flop that started it all and others think Killian Hayes actually has some quality hands. Everyone has their opinion, of course. Except for Grayson Allen, everyone knows that guy is dirty.

Finally, Nate McMillan is rumored to be thinking about quitting his head coaching job. Nobody would blame him because the Atlanta Hawks seem like a dumpster fire when it should be a contender right now. Trae Young probably would love this idea though.

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:04:43 Nate McMillan might resign from the Atlanta Hawks
00:16:36 Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics are top 2, 76ers at fifth
00:32:36 Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic get into a fight
00:40:18 Grayson Allen is still dirty
00:45:29 Offensive explosions from Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, etc
01:00:44 Surprising Western Conference playoff teams
01:16:47 Outro

September 18, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

The Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets vs Carmelo Anthony’s Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are coming into the latest NBA season with high expectations. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and company look like a top-four team. They’ve also been rumored to bring back a familiar name in Carmelo Anthony. Remember the days when Carmelo Anthony was in the race for scoring titles while in Denver?

Of course, that got the gears moving. In the NBA atmosphere, we love comparing eras of basketball and different basketball players that probably shouldn’t be compared. So, we needed to debate who would win in a seven-game series between the current Denver Nuggets team and the Carmelo Anthony Nuggets that reached the Western Conference Finals in 2008-09.

Think back to the 2008-09 season for a minute. The Denver Nuggets traded away Allen Iverson after that failed experiment and they brought in the services of Chauncey Billups to run the offense. Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Nenê, Kenyon Martin, and JR Smith all averaged double-digits in scoring for this squad.

Melo was only 24 years old and was putting up a stat line of 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 44.3% shooting from the field and 37.1% from three. Interestingly, this was the only season in a stretch of 11 seasons that he didn’t make the All-Star game. During that post-season, however, his stats boosted up to 27.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

The team has two surefire Hall of Famers in Anthony and Billups. So, looking at the current team, it does seem like there’s only one player that is surefire Hall of Fame. Nikola Jokic is the one that obviously stands out, but does that necessarily mean the 2008-09 team is better?

Jokic has led the Nuggets in win shares every single season since 2015-16. This past season, Jokic had a historic year, especially for a big man, and grabbed his second MVP trophy in a row. He finished with averages of 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.5 steals on 58.3% shooting from the floor.

As a team, on the other hand, health has been a big problem. The second and third options of the team Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have failed to play more than 50 games in a season at the same time since the 2019-20 season. When they were healthy during that season, the team also reached the Western Conference Finals and coincidentally also lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Who do you think has the better team? Let us know in the comments of the video below!

2022-23 NBA Northwest Division, Atlantic files, Nikola Jokic, Karl Anthony Towns

September 13, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

2022-23 NBA Northwest division preview | TAF243

This week on the Atlantic Files podcast, we begin our yearly division previews! This time, for the 2022-23 NBA season, we start with the Northwest division. We also talk about the proposal for an in-season tournament, the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees that includes Manu Ginobili and Tim Hardaway Sr., Danny Ainge’s comments about the Utah Jazz, and our weekly “Whatchu Got” segment!

In case you’ve just started tuning into the Atlantic Files, every year leading up to the start of a new season, we preview a division each week until we get to the best division of them all. Yes, that division is still the Atlantic.

This week, we kick things off with the Northwest division. Minnesota, Denver, Portland, Oklahoma City, and Utah all are included in this division for those who may not know off the top of their head.

We give our thoughts on the final standings of the division, which players and teams might be surprisingly good, and the others that will probably be terrible. It’s probably not too hard to guess the ones that won’t make the playoffs. Could this even be the worst division in the NBA?

There’s been talk of an in-season tournament that was proposed by the NBA. Could this really help the ratings for the NBA or would it just be another gimmick that no one will care about because it’s not the playoffs nor a real NBA Championship?

Manu Ginobili and the other 2022 Class of the Basketball Hall of Fame were inducted! The list had a bunch of great names that brought up some great memories. Congratulations to all of those that are now in the Hall!

Finally, we finished things off by talking about Danny Ainge’s comments on the Utah Jazz when he first got there and our weekly “Whatchu Got” segment. We brought up a Denver Nuggets discussion between current and past teams, as well as gave our thoughts on the new NBA 2K23 that came out.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:04:27 NBA in-season tournament proposal
00:27:31 Hall of Fame class of 2022 was inducted
00:37:49 2022-23 NBA Northwest division preview
00:51:33 Danny Ainge’s comments about the Utah Jazz
00:58:19 Thoughts on NBA 2K23 so far
01:01:17 Current Denver Nuggets vs Carmelo Anthony Denver Nuggets
01:08:05 Outro

Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets, RJ Barrett, New York

August 25, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Kevin Durant stays, RJ Barrett leaves? | TAF240

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, we talk about Kevin Durant yet again as he decides to take back everything and stay with the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Knicks are thinking of including RJ Barrett in a Donovan Mitchell trade, Chet Holmgren might have ligament damage, plus more during ‘whatchu got!’

The Kevin Durant and Brooklyn Nets saga is finally over. After some sort of meeting between Kevin Durant, Steve Nash, Joe Tsai, and Sean Marks, they decided to run it back. Being a fly on that wall would have been something. Either way, this whole drama show was for nothing.

On the other side of New York, the New York Knicks have still been in talks with the Utah Jazz about Donovan Mitchell. RJ Barrett is the latest name that could be included in that haul for Utah. Should the Knicks even consider trading their best asset though? Some think Barrett isn’t even that good in the first place, so why would Danny Ainge want him?

Very disheartening news came out after all of this. Chet Holmgren is now out for the season with a Lisfranc injury. At the time of the recording, the tests weren’t done just yet, but it seemed like it was headed for a season-ending injury. Such an unfortunate way for a player’s season to end in just a pro-am game that didn’t mean anything.

Then, we got to our “Whatchu Got” segment. Topics included who we thought was going to have the biggest breakout season, whether the Denver Nuggets are a Western Conference contender, and which players under 25 have the biggest potential peak!

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:05:36 Happy Mamba day!
00:11:19 Kevin Durant is staying in Brooklyn
00:30:08 Should the New York Knicks trade RJ Barrett
00:42:43 Chet Holmgren is out for the season
00:54:01 Who will have the biggest breakout season in the NBA
00:59:21 Are the Denver Nuggets a Western Conference contender
01:04:47 Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum, and Trae Young, whose ceiling is higher
01:14:42 Outro

August 19, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

What does Nikola Jokic need to be better than Dirk Nowitzki all time?

The age-old debate of which player should be considered than the other despite playing in different eras continues! This time around, we’re talking about the best European to play in the NBA. Nikola Jokic is quickly making his case, but the one to pass is still Dirk Nowitzki.

During the latest episode of our podcast, Mike’s ‘Whatchu Got’ topic was based on Nikola Jokic. He asked what Jokic had to do to become the best European of all-time to play in the NBA.

Usually, this is an absurd question because of how great Dirk Nowitzki’s legacy is, but in terms of Jokic and even Luka Doncic, it’s a fair question. Nowitzki’s 20 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and plethora of accomplishments is a hard resume to beat.

Jokic now has two MVPs under his belt, some historical stat lines, and a few playoff runs. He’s one of the best big men in the last decade or so already and is constantly in the conversation among the top seven players in the league.

Yes, we know it’s still quite early in his career to make a judgment right now. What we can do is go off of his body of work and try to predict if he can keep that pace up.

What do you think, will Nikola Jokic ever pass Dirk Nowitzki as the best European player of all time? Plus, could Luka Doncic pass both of them?

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

March 24, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Who are the true NBA Finals contenders? | The Atlantic Files Ep220

This week on the Atlantic Files, we talk about which teams in the NBA are the true NBA Finals contenders, LeBron James candidacy for undisputed GOAT, Jamal Crawford officially retires, Luka Doncic says it’s easier to score 30 in the NBA than EuroLeague, and we get sidetracked and talk all sorts of food!

The NBA Playoffs talk is heating up as the regular season starts to come to a close. Teams such as the Chicago Bulls are getting called fakers as they can’t beat the other Eastern playoff teams. Then you have teams like the Phoenix Suns who almost seem like a lock to make it to the Finals. What about all the other teams in between? Where would you put teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, and others?

Jamal Crawford, who hasn’t found his way to a team in a couple of seasons, has officially retired from the NBA. His career was one of the most fun to watch and he was one of the best Sixth Men to ever play the game. Enjoy retirement Crawford!

LeBron James recently moved up to number two in the all-time scoring list in the NBA. He will end up passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar probably next season. Once he becomes number one on that list, does that make him the undisputed GOAT of basketball? We debate his candidacy along with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and more.

Finally, Luka Doncic went on to JJ Redick’s podcast and talked about the NBA vs EuroLeague. Doncic talked about how it was easier to score 30 points in the NBA rather than EuroLeague, and everyone lost their minds. As the intellectuals we are, we took a deeper look at why he might say that.

Along with all of the basketball talk, we gave our opinions on burgers, Wawa, which ways to wipe, and more!

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
1:43 – Which teams are the true NBA Finals contenders?
45:53 – Is LeBron James the undisputed GOAT?
54:35 – Jamal Crawford officially retires
55:16 – Luka Doncic says it’s easier to score 30 in the NBA vs EuroLeague

January 25, 2022June 27, 2022 by Alex Fischbein

Joel Embiid vs Nikola Jokic for MVP | The Atlantic Files Ep212

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, we talk Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic for NBA MVP, who should get their first NBA All-Star appearances, Talen Horton-Tucker’s trade interest, our biggest surprises from the first half of the NBA season, and some predictions for the second half.

One of the biggest conversations lately has been Joel Embiid against Nikola Jokic for the best big man in the league along with who deserves the MVP. We took a look at the top-three candidates that are widely recognized as Embiid, Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo right now. Which big man would you take to start your team and who do you think deserves MVP so far this season?

Now that the 2022 NBA All-Star voting is done, it’s time to set our sights on who should be getting their first-ever All-Star appearance this year. Names like LaMelo Ball, Darius Garland, Fred VanVleet, and Miles Bridges all enter the mix in this conversation. Will we see any sort of surprises like Andrew Wiggins becoming an All-Star starter?

Over in Hollywood, the Los Angeles Lakers are not enjoying this season so far. They’ve failed to even come close to their lofty pre-season expectations and now they’re exploring all sorts of trade markets. The current one is for Talen Horton-Tucker. They’ve quickly found out that there isn’t too much interest in trading for their coveted young guard and now they’re left scratching their heads. Which team do you think should trade for him?

Finally, we take a look at the first half of the NBA season and talk about what were the biggest surprises of the season so far. Teams like the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies have both been surprising, but did anything else stand out? Also, we take a look ahead and give some predictions for the rest of the season yet to come.

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
1:46 – Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, or Giannis Antetokounmpo, who should be MVP
16:13 – Which players should get their first NBA All-Star appearance
22:56 – The trade market for the Los Angeles Lakers and Talen Horton-Tucker
31:54 – Surprises from the first half of the 2021-22 NBA Season and predictions for the second half

November 30, 2021June 27, 2022 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?

The Atlantic Files

The #1 podcast on the #1 division in the NBA

Tag / denver nuggets