Tag / golden state warriors

Boston Celtics, NBA Playoffs 2022, Atlantic Files
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

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA Playoffs 2022, Atlantic Files
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?

brooklyn nets, boston celtics, kevin durant, kyrie irving, ben simmons, atlantic files
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

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

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors, NBA Record
by Alex Fischbein

Last night in the Atlantic (12/14/21)

History was made on Atlantic Division soil last night, so this week it’s not only Atlantic players that we’re highlighting!

Standings:
Brooklyn Nets(1) 20-8
Philadelphia 76ers(6) 15-13
Boston Celtics(9) 14-14
Toronto Raptors 13-15
New York Knicks 12-16

Let’s talk about last night!

Stephen Curry

We have to start this thing off with the historic moment from Stephen Curry. This man is the greatest shooter to ever hit the NBA. There is no debate. I don’t care about any kind of argument about players from the old days, I don’t care about any Ray Allen stans, Stephen Curry is the best shooter to ever grace the league. It was only fitting that the record was broken at Madison Square Garden. Sorry Knicks fans.

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Julius Randle

Now, let’s get back to the Atlantic! Julius Randle, at least, gave a valiant effort to win this game. I can’t help but notice that there are some confidence and effort changes from last season. Shots that he’d normally take and some hustle plays that he’d normally make aren’t really happening anymore. This game was still a good line for him with 31p & 7r, but the outcome has been a loss more often than not this season. When the only differences in this team compared to last year are some additions, you have to start looking at effort, mentality, and confidence.

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Scottie Barnes

We’re back again to highlight Scottie Barnes! This man is just out here competing against the best and not backing down to anyone! He was taking Kevin Durant head-on and he made some very gutsy shots that he might not normally take. While I’m aware the Brooklyn Nets were not at full strength, it was still impressive to see Barnes cash in a very nice all-around game. He ended up with 23p, 12r, & 5a.

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Kessler Edwards

Kevin Durant and Patty Mills had 34 and 30 points respectively. We’ve highlighted those two plenty, however, so let’s talk about a rookie. Kessler Edwards received his moment to shine with a very short-handed Nets team. He even doubled the minutes of Cam Thomas, which could be surprising given how much hype has been surrounding him. Edwards delivered a very nice game in support of the offense. He finished the game with 17p, 10r, 2a, & 2s. He showed a willingness to shoot with a quick trigger, filled lanes correctly, and hustled in the paint relentlessly. If he can play at or close to this level consistently, that just gives the Nets a ton more depth than they currently have.

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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

LeBron James, Isaiah Stewart, Fight
by Alex Fischbein

LeBron James draws blood | The Atlantic File

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files, LeBron James draws blood from Isaiah Stewart, Luke Walton loses his job, Jayson Tatum is good again, plus Cade Cunningham is finally making his Rookie of the Year argument.

By now, everyone has probably seen the fight between LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart. Stewart had some serious blood coming from his eye and he was rightfully pissed off. All of these reports say that James didn’t mean any harm, but the video seems to say otherwise. Also, does anyone really buy that LeBron James, of all people, couldn’t “track down” Stewart’s phone number? 

Luke Walton, now former coach of the Sacramento Kings, is on the lookout for another job. If there’s anyone who knows chaos out of the NBA franchises, it’s definitely the Kings. Hopefully, they don’t think that this is going to fix their entire team and all of their problems. That would just somehow be very Kings-esque though.

A couple of episodes ago, we talked about how Jayson Tatum wasn’t pulling his own weight. Since then, both Tatum and the Boston Celtics have been much improved. Tatum’s percentages and all-around game have gone up and looked worlds better. Could a Jaylen Brown for Bradley Beal trade work out? 

On top of that, we discussed Cade Cunningham starting to show his true potential!

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
1:38 – Golden State Warriors are highly lethal
11:42 – LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart fight
22:10 – Cade Cunningham showing his true potential
29:28 – Jayson Tatum looking more like Jayson Tatum
39:10 – Luke Walton fired by the Sacramento Kings