Tag / james harden

by Alex Fischbein

Zach LaVine On The Block, NBA Officiating Off The Rails | TAF294

On episode 293 of The Atlantic Files, Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls both have an interest in finding a trade partner for the All-Star guard, NBA Officiating seems to be going off the rails as more techs are handed out and more people are aggravated, James Harden gets obliterated by a Mavs broadcaster, Kelly Oubre Jr. has a scary situation, Zion Williamson doesn’t seem happy in New Orleans, and Jordan Poole is finding out quickly that Washington is not Golden State!

The Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine are reportedly talking to teams about potential deals to move the All-Star guard to a new team. It’s unclear whether or not this is the start of a full rebuild, but the two sides have a mutual understanding that LaVine is now firmly on the trade block. We take a look at who should make a deal for him.

NBA Officiating has been the topic of many discussions in post-game press conferences, social media, and much more so far this season. There have been game-changing calls, ejections out of nowhere, and even more questionable events that have caused even coaches to say things and get fined for talking about the refs. Is it especially bad this year or just par for the course?

Kelly Oubre Jr. unfortunately experienced a terrifying situation when he was hit by a car as he was just a pedestrian walking around his residence. The good thing is that his injuries are not as severe as originally expected, but after such a hot start, he’ll now be out for a while to heal from broken ribs and other injuries.

Speaking of players that may be on the trade block, Zion Williamson seemed very unhappy with his situation in New Orleans during a post-game press conference. Also, Jordan Poole is finding out very quickly that the Washington Wizards are nothing like the Golden State Warriors and it might be pretty difficult to be the best player on a team.

Finally, we also take a look at the epic rant from a Dallas Mavericks broadcaster that was aimed at James Harden and everything he’s done since leaving Houston.

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Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
07:26 James Harden gets roasted
21:43 Zach LaVine on the trade block
30:33 Zion Williamson unhappy in New Orleans?
38:54 NBA Officiating is off the rails
47:40 Jordan Poole and the Wizards are awful
50:41 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

James Harden Unleashed & The Wemby and Holmgren Show | TAF293

On episode 293 of The Atlantic Files, James Harden says he was on a leash in Philadelphia and he isn’t a system player, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are putting on a show, two Atlantic division teams are at the top of the East while the others have shown a mixed bag, and the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t been as good as expected so far.

James Harden did his first press conference since joining the Los Angeles Clippers and he talks about how he was on a leash in Philadelphia and that he needs a coach that he can trust who will also trust him. This is news to all of us, including Joel Embiid who was confused by his comments and said that they gave him the ball on every possession. Make this drama make sense, please!

Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks have yet to show their full potential after suffering a couple of bad losses in the early going of this season. Inefficient shooting, poor defense, and ejections have caused the team to look like they regressed from last year. Is this team actually as much of a title contender as everyone thought or did they ship out too much of their depth to be as good as they used to be?

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have been garnering all the hype for quite a while now. Deservedly so, these two rookies have lived up to all of the expectations and then some! Both of them have turned into must-see TV and have raised the level of each of their teams. This race for Rookie of the Year may be one of the closest in a long time!

Finally, we take a look at the Atlantic Division so far and how they’ve fared over the first few weeks of the season. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are at the top of the division and the conference while the other three are all next to each other in play-in territory. This is shaping up to be a fun year!

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:06:07 James Harden on a leash?!
00:29:42 Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks
00:44:30 Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are awesome
00:56:22 The Atlantic Division so far
01:09:31 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Tyrese Maxey Shines, James Harden Traded, Week 1 Reactions | TAF292

On episode 292 of The Atlantic Files, Tyrese Maxey shines through his first three games while James Harden watches from the sidelines, Harden tried to come back and fly with the team before getting denied access to the plane, and the NBA regular season has kicked off with some big Week 1 performances while we give our reactions and thoughts on some fantasy basketball topics.

James Harden has finally been sent to Los Angeles as the Sixers and Clippers were reportedly coaxed into speeding up the trade talks. The Sixers finally don’t have to deal with the headaches and distractions of another player waiting to be traded and they got some decent rotational pieces in the process. It’s time to break down the deal, who won, and what the Sixers can do beyond just this trade.

Tyrese Maxey and Cam Thomas are two of the young scorers taking the league by storm and they happen to both play in the Atlantic Division. Maxey is looking like an All-Star and maybe even All-Pro, while Thomas has put up multiple 30-point games himself.

Finally, we take a quick look at the first week of the new NBA season and give our reactions and thoughts to the different games, performances, and happenings around the league.

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Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
02:16 James Harden traded to the Clippers
34:09 Sixers and Clippers trade timeline
37:49 Tyrese Maxey and Cam Thomas shine
41:08 NBA Week 1 reactions
48:16 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

2023-24 NBA Season Begins, Joel Embiid Trade Rumors | TAF291

On episode 291 of The Atlantic Files, the 2023-24 NBA Season kicks off with two big games at the same time we’re recording, Joel Embiid is back in trade rumors again and it involves the New York Knicks, plus we give some fantasy basketball advice for the new season!

The 2023-24 NBA season kicked off with a couple of entertaining games showcasing some of the league’s best teams. Then we had a huge 12-game slate with so much action it was hard to catch all of it. We gave all of our predictions for the regular season awards along with who we have winning the NBA Finals while we also took a look at the opening night games.

Joel Embiid is back in the news based on trade rumors to the New York Knicks. Apparently, the Knicks are prepared to offer a huge haul for the reigning MVP which may become enticing after James Harden finally gets dealt away from the team. Should the Sixers actually consider a trade inside the division or should they explore elsewhere for better deals so that they don’t have to play against him?

Finally, we go over our top 12 players for fantasy basketball this year in category formats. We’ll be dropping bits of fantasy advice throughout the season as well!

Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
05:12 Joel Embiid traded for a haul to the Knicks?
30:59 2023-24 NBA Season predictions
51:30 Our top 12 fantasy basketball players
55:09 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Ben Simmons Revival, James Harden Speaks, NBA GM Survey | TAF290

In episode 290 of The Atlantic Files, Ben Simmons is starting to look like a legit basketball player again, James Harden breaks his preseason silence to talk about his relationship with the team, and we take a deep dive into the NBA GM survey results and some of their wild answers!

Ben Simmons has actually seemed to improve so far this preseason as we’ve seen some of his skills come back from his all-star seasons. He’s hit some fadeaway mid-range jumpers and his usual distribution skills have been on show. When the Nets took on the 76ers, however, Patrick Beverley took offense to his weak trash talk directed toward one of the rookies. So, maybe he isn’t much different after all?

James Harden finally spoke to the media this preseason about his situation and whether or not the relationship with Daryl Morey and the Sixers can ever be repaired. To no one’s surprise, he said nothing can fix it and he still stands by his trade request. He also says that he apparently wanted to retire in Philadelphia, but “the front office didn’t have the same plans.”

Finally, we take a deeper look at all of the questions inside of the NBA GM survey and see how many of them are either homers or just giving some wild answers. The defensive questions have been the weirdest ones yet! Let us know what you think of some of the answers either on Twitter or YouTube!

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:13 James Harden speaks to the media
00:18:42 Ben Simmons looks like a basketball player
00:29:02 NBA GM Survey deep dive
01:14:17 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Tyler Herro, NBA Preseason, and Season Predictions | TAF289

On episode 289 of The Atlantic Files, Tyler Herro says he’s glad Portland didn’t want him and his goal is to become untouchable, the NBA preseason starts with some new faces and new drama already beginning, we also make our final season predictions, plus much more!

Tyler Herro had to sit through his name getting thrown around in every trade rumor imaginable for the last couple of seasons. Damian Lillard reportedly wasn’t going to move anywhere unless Herro was involved. Now that he remains in Miami and Lillard moved to Milwaukee, Herro wants to become untouchable so that he’s never part of trade talks again. The question is whether or not that’s an attainable level for him.

The NBA preseason has kicked off which means media days have already come and gone. We go over some of the top headlines from media day and the preseason as well as talk about some of our favorite players so far. Let’s also not forget that James Harden still hasn’t been traded to the Philadelphia 76ers are still in a state of flux.

Finally, we talk about the NBA GM survey where they answer a bunch of questions from who they think will the NBA Finals down to who they think will be MVP, Rookie of the Year, and much more.

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:12 Fantasy Football talk: Week 5
00:15:10 Tyler Herro wants to be untouchable
00:27:08 NBA Preseason and media days
00:43:05 NBA General Manager poll and season predictions
00:59:24 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Kelly Oubre Jr. Signs With The Sixers | TAF286

This week, on episode 286 of The Atlantic Files, Kelly Oubre Jr. is signing a one-year deal with the Sixers, James Harden trade talks were ended by the Clippers and not the 76ers, we continue our divisional preview series with the Central Division, the NBA has established new resting rules for star players, and we bring back our fantasy basketball and football corner!

Daryl Morey and the 76ers actually made a roster move that wasn’t trading James Harden. Kelly Oubre Jr. is joining the team on a one-year deal! We’re still not exactly sure why Oubre wasn’t signed by any other teams until now, but it’s a huge pickup for a team that’s in limbo with one of their superstars.

Speaking of James Harden, news came out that the trade talks were actually ended by the Clippers. Brian Windhorst spoke about how the Clippers were the ones moving on after the trade talks hit a stalemate. Originally, the drama began because it was believed that Morey finished the negotiations. Now, the shoe is on the other foot and we haven’t heard from Harden since then.

The NBA also established new rules in regard to resting players throughout the regular season. We’ll, hopefully, begin to see more and more stars playing on national TV and in away games. The issue becomes how the league will actually enforce all of these rules and how they’ll make sure that the injuries listed are real.

Finally, we continue our divisional preview series for the 2023-24 season. The Central Division is the next one on the list before our specialty next week. Will Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks win the division again or will Cleveland take another step up with their young core and Donovan Mitchell?

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:15 Fantasy Football Corner: Week 2
00:17:37 Kelly Oubre Jr signs with Sixers
00:32:21 Clippers end trade talks for James Harden
00:36:27 New resting rules in effect in the NBA
00:46:50 NBA Central division preview
00:58:48 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

James Harden Fined, France Eliminated Early | TAF283

On episode 283 of The Atlantic Files, James Harden gets fined for his comments about Daryl Morey, we continue our divisional previews with the Northwest Division, France gets ousted in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Evan Turner hints at the refs being biased in the NBA Playoffs, and we go through the second half of Dennis’ fantasy basketball rankings.

James Harden was fined $100k for saying that he would never play for the Sixers as long as Daryl Morey is employed there. While his plan to tell the audience that in China was genius, he still looks like an idiot after the dust has pretty much settled from everything.

Rudy Gobert and Team France get eliminated after just two pool play games. They lost to both Canada and Latvia without Kristaps Porzingis in back to back games and they’ll head home after being one of the top teams in the tournament. Sad day for France fans.

Evan Turner made an appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast and talked about their 2012 Playoff matchup against the Boston Celtics. He said that Elton Brand told him they would have to win by 15 just to win by one which meant they needed to make sure the refs had no say in who won. Confirming a lot of beliefs that people had about the officiating.

Finally, we previewed the Northwest Division with the reigning NBA Champs. Do you think they’ll repeat? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:11:35 James Harden fined 100k
00:20:39 France eliminated from 2023 FIBA World Cup
00:31:25 Evan Turner on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast
00:44:30 NBA Northwest Division preview
00:58:54 outro

by Alex Fischbein

James Harden vs Daryl Morey Cage Match! | TAF282

In episode 282 of The Atlantic Files, James Harden calls Daryl Morey a liar and won’t play for him, Daryl Morey isn’t surprised and stands his ground, the 2023 FIBA World Cup starts soon, we do our first divisional preview starting with the Southwest division, Dennis gives his fantasy basketball rankings for points leagues, and more!

James Harden was on tour in China with Adidas and fielded questions after an event where he took the chance to throw some shots at Daryl Morey. He called Morey a liar and said that he will not play for a franchise that Morey is a part of and he repeated a second time to make sure everyone understood. He obviously knew his audience and that people in China aren’t big fans of Morey. This moves the process to a whole new level of confusion.

The 2023 FIBA World Cup starts in a couple of weeks so we look at some of the rosters of the countries that are participating. We give our thoughts on the top rosters and the teams that have the best chance of taking home the gold.

Then, we kick off our divisional preview series as we take a look at the upcoming season for the Southwest Division. The Memphis Grizzlies won’t have Ja Morant for a chunk of the season and the Houston Rockets improved greatly. Will the New Orleans Pelicans finally stay healthy and realize their potential, or will they tank?

Finally, our very own Dennis Clausen put out his rankings for the 2023-24 fantasy basketball season. The rankings are geared toward points leagues so we discuss the top 30 players and whether or not we agree or think others deserve the spot instead.

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:06:54 James Harden calls Daryl Morey a liar
00:34:13 2023 FIBA World Cup thoughts
00:51:32 2023-24 Southwest division preview
01:16:34 Dennis’s 2023-24 fantasy basketball points rankings
01:43:15 Outro

by Alex Fischbein

Is Joel Embiid Really Trolling 76ers Fans? | TAF279

On episode 279 of The Atlantic Files, Joel Embiid says he wants to win a championship whether it’s with the Philadelphia 76ers or not, then says he’s trolling. We go through the winners and losers of Summer League, check in on the James Harden and Damian Lillard situations, react to the Pascal Siakam trade rumors, and give ideal landing spots for the remaining NBA free agents.

Joel Embiid said that all he wants to do is win a championship in an interview with Mav Carter. The issue is that he also said whether it’s in Philly or somewhere else, he wants to win. That sent everyone in Philadelphia into a frenzy because he even hinted at the idea of wanting out. Embiid then took to Twitter to say that it was actually all a troll job. Is anyone believing this?

NBA Summer League has come and gone, so there are winners and losers coming out of it. Some prospects did very well and others didn’t do so well. Who are your winners and losers and do they line up with ours?

Then, we check in on the James Harden and Damian Lillard situations. Both star guards are still on the same teams and they aren’t seemingly moving any time soon. They both only want to go to one team, but that doesn’t help either one of their cases. Which one will be traded first and will either one go to the team they really want?

Finally, we take a look at all of the remaining free agents. We talk about where they should go and how much money they could end up signing for. That includes players like Christian Wood, PJ Washington, and Kelly Oubre Jr.

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:06:05 NBA Summer league winners and losers
00:45:42 Joel Embiid’s championship comments
01:03:27 Damian Lillard and James Harden still not traded
01:13:22 Remaining NBA Free agents
01:24:19 Outro