Tag / Kevin Durant

by Alex Fischbein

Pascal Siakam To The Indiana Pacers ft Dmitry Bergen Of Loose Ball Boys | TAF301

On episode 301 of The Atlantic Files, Dmitry Bergen of the Loose Ball Boys podcast joins the show! The Toronto Raptors have been in active talks with the Indiana Pacers surrounding a Pascal Siakam deal, the Washington Wizards dropped a player for allegedly stealing from Target, Erik Spoelstra signs a contract extension after divorce, and coaches going off on NBA referees.

First and foremost, we get to know Dmitry and how the Loose Ball Boys podcast first started. We also go over how he became a Brooklyn Nets fan and his love for basketball in general. Then we get into the real meat of his story by talking about favorite foods, Richard Jefferson encounters, and more.

The big basketball news is obviously Pascal Siakam getting traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Indiana Pacers. We go over how it changes the Pacers’ outlook for this season, especially since they had to give up Bruce Brown in the process. Three first-round picks are a lot for a guy who isn’t guaranteed to re-sign. Also, how is the Toronto Raptors rebuild going at this stage?

Then, we get into the weird news that starts with coaches ripping into NBA referees and huge disparities in free throws. A lot of the time it’s the bigger market team getting the calls and these coaches are absolutely sick of it. To be honest, we’re getting tired of it too!

Finally, Ryan Rollins was allegedly waived for stealing things from Target on multiple occasions. It allegedly was even the same exact Target every time. Then, at the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s Erik Spoelstra getting a contract extension right after his divorce was finalized. That’s Heat culture right there!

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/loose-ball-boys/id1669640653?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=lt_p

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:23 Dmitry Bergen on his Nets fandom and start of Loose Ball Boys
00:14:00 Russian women, Threads, and fast food
00:37:45 Pascal Siakam traded to the Indiana Pacers
01:04:57 NBA Coaches disagreeing with refs
01:13:19 Ryan Rollins waived for allegedly stealing?!
01:21:25 Erik Spoelstra finalizes contract after divorce
01:30:24 Random closing thoughts and outro

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

Boston Celtics Crumble, Nick Nurse Joins The Philadelphia 76ers | TAF274

On the latest episode of The Atlantic Files, we delve into the dramatic turn of events in the NBA playoffs. In episode 274, we analyze the Boston Celtics’ heartbreaking defeat against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, with a focus on Jayson Tatum’s ankle injury and Jaylen Brown’s struggles. We also discuss Derrick White’s heroic performance for the Celtics and evaluate the implications it had on their playoff run.

But that’s not all—our attention shifts to an intriguing coaching update in the league. Get the inside scoop on the recent news of Nick Nurse, the renowned head coach of the Toronto Raptors, joining the Philadelphia 76ers. We dissect the pros and cons of Nurse coaching Joel Embiid and explore his remarkable postseason success.

Additionally, we explore the potential moves of the Toronto Raptors, questioning whether they should make a trade for the #3 pick in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft. Plus, we touch upon Bob Myers stepping down from his position with the Golden State Warriors, bringing further excitement to the NBA offseason.

Whether you’re a dedicated fan of the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, or simply an NBA enthusiast, this episode has something for everyone. Join our engaging discussion and stay up-to-date with all the latest basketball news and insights.

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:15:10 Boston Celtics lose Game 7 in embarrassing fashion
00:42:45 2023 NBA Finals preview, Nuggets vs Heat
01:00:00 Nick Nurse joins the Philadelphia 76ers
01:14:40 Should the Raptors trade for the third pick?
01:20:15 Bob Myers steps down from Golden State
01:34:28 – Outro

Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, 2023 NBA Playoffs, Atlantic Files, Podcast
by Alex Fischbein

The NBA Playoffs Are Coming! | TAF267

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, we welcome BJ Boyer back to the show as we preview the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs, go over the scenarios some teams need to still make the playoffs or play-in tournament, talk about the crazy rollercoaster of a season that the Los Angeles Lakers have had, go over some things in the new CBA, talk about the downfall of the Dallas Mavericks, and more!

A friend of the show and local Los Angeles Lakers fan, BJ Boyer, joined this week’s episode to explain his feelings on the current iteration of the team and how much of a rollercoaster ride this season was. He even predicted how long this core will last until they finally have to blow it up again.

Then, we got into some of the specifics that have reportedly been included in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement. The CBA has included things from game limits to qualify for regular season awards to some very interesting salary cap rules that will force general managers to play some crazy cap gymnastics. We gave our thoughts on some of the changes and dove into a lot of details.

Finally, we talked about the downfall of the Dallas Mavericks and started to preview the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Which top teams in each conference are more likely to lose in an upset and which ones will actually make the Conference Finals? Should the Philadelphia 76ers want to play against the Milwaukee Bucks instead of the Boston Celtics, or should they just jump in against either one of them? We go in-depth into those questions and more!

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:49 Los Angeles Lakers season explained
00:34:34 The NBA’s new CBA, salary cap, and more
00:57:16 2023 NBA Playoffs predictions and preview
01:39:18 Remember this guy?
01:41:53 Outro

Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, Mikal Bridges, 2023 NBA Trade Deadline, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Kevin Durant To Phoenix And Brooklyn’s New Start | TAF262

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Kevin Durant was finally moved to the Phoenix Suns while the madness of the NBA Trade Deadline was one to remember, we go over every big deal from the deadline, how the Brooklyn Nets will hit the restart button, Durant’s frustrations with Ben Simmons, the hit pieces surround Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis not celebrating LeBron James making history, and more!

Kevin Durant requested a trade so fast after Kyrie Irving was shipped out that everyone wasn’t even prepared to fathom the team without him. The only possible team he could play for happened to be one of the Western favorites in the Phoenix Suns because he just couldn’t see himself playing for any other team in the league. So, do the Suns automatically become title favorites, or do the Boston Celtics still have an argument?

The 2023 NBA trade deadline gave us a lot of smaller deals to talk about on top of the big dominoes that finally fell. James Wiseman, Saddiq Bey, Bones Hyland, Mason Plumlee, Matisse Thybulle, and Jalen McDaniels are all on the move, and that’s only a few names. We broke down the bigger trades that happened and discussed which teams won their respective deals.

One report coming out of the Nets camp is that Durant was also fed up with Ben Simmons and the number of people that seem to coddle him throughout all of his mistakes and shortcomings on the court. This sounds eerily familiar as if something like this happened before with another superstar named Jimmy Butler. Simmons is now seeing his minutes disappear before his very eyes in every game.

Finally, there are a couple of stories stemming from the Los Angeles Lakers dealing with both Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Davis looked like he was really hating life as LeBron James made history while there were hit pieces galore coming out about Westbrook just because he was finally traded. Ah, don’t you just love media stories that really don’t mean anything and could even be made up for views?

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Timecodes:

00:00:00 Intro
00:02:24 Kevin Durant traded to Phoenix reactions and thoughts
00:29:33 Takeaways from 2023 NBA Trade Deadline
00:58:58 Anthony Davis hating life while LeBon makes history
01:03:30 Russell Westbrook hit pieces need to stop
01:10:50 KD frustrated with Ben Simmons and people coddling him
01:22:47 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend predictions
01:30:40 Outro

Kyrie Irving, Trade, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Kyrie Irving Traded To Dallas Mavericks | TAF261

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Kyrie Irving gets shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks while Spencer Dinwiddie comes back to Brooklyn, Pascal Siakam and Bones Hyland are rumored to be on the move amongst others, fights broke out between Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks plus Mo Bamba and Austin Rivers, we make our own NBA All-Star picks and talk about the snubs, plus more!

The biggest news in the Atlantic Division right now is obviously Kyrie Irving demanding a trade and then getting shipped right out to the Dallas Mavericks. He and Markieff Morris are on the way to Texas while Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, multiple second-round picks, and a 2029 first-round pick are headed to Brooklyn. Dinwiddie may not want to get too comfortable as there are already rumors that the Nets could then flip him over to Toronto for Fred VanVleet.

Other players that are rumored to be on the trade block right now include Bones Hyland, Pascal Siakam, Cam Reddish, and Furkan Korkmaz, among others. Who is most likely to get shipped to another team and who would benefit their team more if they stayed and had some pieces around them?

In non-trade news, fights have been popping up across the league at what seems like a very high rate. Not only are they entertaining because fights rarely happen, but the one between Austin Rivers and Mo Bamba was just straight comedy. Dillon Brooks and Donovan Mitchell also got into a scuffle after Brooks took a cheap shot which didn’t surprise many people.

Finally, we talked about the 2023 NBA All-Star snubs as well as the players that were selected that probably didn’t deserve to be there. So, we picked our own All-Stars! Let us know which ones you think deserved to be in the All-Star game.

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:09:58 Kyrie Irving traded to Dallas for Spencer Dinwiddie
00:35:15 Bones Hyland, Pascal Siakam, and other rumored trades
00:46:46 Donovan Mitchell vs Dillon Brooks plus more NBA fights
01:06:13 2023 NBA All-Star snubs and we pick our own
01:30:07 Outro

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA All-Star, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Joel Embiid Snubbed From NBA All-Star Start | TAF260

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Joel Embiid was snubbed from becoming a starter in the 2023 NBA All-Star game, the Philadelphia 76ers are streaking as they took down the Brooklyn Nets and Nikola Jokic, a weird scorekeeper conspiracy surrounding Jaren Jackson Jr., Nets fans now asking for Ben Simmons to be traded, and more!

The starters for the 2023 NBA All-Star game have been announced! Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Tyrese Haliburton were some notable names left off of the list, but others have been debated as snubs as well. Who do you think the biggest starting snub is this year?

Once on a seven-game win streak, the Philadelphia 76ers were looking like serious championship contenders. They had everything clicking and their big three was firing on all cylinders despite Tyrese Maxey moving to a bench role. During rivals week, they took down the Brooklyn Nets and Nikola Jokic in convincing fashion, so is it time to dub them as legit contenders?

Jaren Jackson Jr. has been at the center of one of the weirdest conspiracies in the NBA. If you had scorekeeper conspiracy on your NBA bingo card, then you must have known something that no one else knew. Stemming from Reddit, people found that his stats at home are bolstered way over the ones on the road despite playing the same amount of games for each.

Finally, should Ben Simmons get traded again? Brooklyn Nets fans are fed up with his lack of scoring and aggressiveness. There are memes and tweets galore asking for him to be traded for someone that is actually going to help them come playoff time.

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

Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
06:49 Sixers win streak, games against Brooklyn and Nikola Jokic
17:02 Should the Nets trade Ben Simmons?
29:18 LeBron James throws a tantrum after no foul call against Celtics
37:34 Jaren Jackson Jr. and the scorekeeper conspiracy
43:32 Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and NBA All-Star snubs
53:03 Mike’s favorite sports teams, choose one
58:07 Outro

Kevin Durant, Injury, Brooklyn Nets, 2023 NBA All-Star, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Kevin Durant Injured, NBA All-Star Voting Returns | TAF258

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files Podcast, Kevin Durant sprains his MCL and will be out for at least a couple weeks, he also does an interview and says NBA fans are entitled, the first round of NBA All-Star voting returns came out, Gregg Popovich talks about the terrible defense of today’s game, Joe Lacob hints at maybe trading one of the Golden State Warriors big three, and more!

Kevin Durant will have to spend some time on the sidelines as he sprained his MCL and has been reported out for at least a few weeks. He will be re-evaluated after that time just in case the healing process doesn’t go as planned. The scare comes from the fact that he missed six weeks with this same injury in seasons prior, but reports have said it’s not as serious as before. Can the Nets stay afloat without their top player?

Durant also gave an interview where he compared today’s game with eras before and how the fans perceive the game today. He said that fans today are entitled because they consume it way more than the generations before them and they have started to take the game for granted. Do you agree with what he had to say?

Then, the first round of NBA All-Star voting returns came out! There were a few surprises but the big names prevailed as usual when it came to the top vote-getters. The biggest issues came from the names that didn’t appear on the list at all!

Finally, there were quotes from Gregg Popovich and Joe Lacob. Coach Pop sarcastically talked about adding a four and five-point shot because nobody wants to play defense anyway. Then, Lacob hinted at trading away one of the original big three before it was too late. Who do you think will be the odd man out?

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:09:51 Kevin Durant sprained his MCL, out for a couple weeks
00:24:14 Kevin Durant says fans are more entitled these days
00:52:04 NBA All Star 2023 first round voting returns
01:10:42 Joe Lacob hints at trading one of the Golden State Warriors big three
01:15:08 Gregg Popovich jokes about 4 and 5-point shots
01:17:01 Outro

Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Atlantic Files, Podcast
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