On episode 278 of The Atlantic Files: 2023 NBA Free Agency was shaping up to be crazy and so far it hasn’t really been that amazing. Players like Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Kyle Kuzma, and Khris Middleton all stayed put. Fred VanVleet got paid, Dillon Brooks headed to a different team, and Grant Williams and Max Strus went through a sign-and-trade. We give all of our thoughts and reactions on the signings and trades so far and the ones that are yet to come like Damian Lillard and James Harden.
The free agency period has been a little lackluster compared to all the hype and rumors thrown around before it officially opened. Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks both got a good bit of money to switch teams, but outside of them a lot of the more significant contracts went to guys that just stayed with their same squad. Draymond Green, Kyle Kuzma, and Jerami Grant are just a few names that didn’t switch teams. So, which teams had the best free agency?
We also take a closer look at the Atlantic Division teams and how they fared throughout the free agency period so far. The 76ers and Nets seem to be sitting back and waiting for bigger moves while the Raptors and Celtics decided to make a few moves and bring in some new faces. We’re still waiting to see if the Knicks have anything else up their sleeve as well.
Finally, there are the annoying situations of both Damian Lillard and James Harden. Lillard decided to wait until the last possible minute to request a trade and he’s acting like a child when he says he will only play for the Miami Heat and absolutely no one else. Harden, also acting like a child, received a huge ego check and will sit around waiting for Daryl Morey to trade him because he didn’t like the fact that he didn’t receive a ton of money this offseason.
Timecodes: 00:00:00 Intro 00:07:16 Atlantic Division free agency roundup 00:47:01 Can Damian Lillard replicate Stephen Curry and Isiah Thomas? 00:55:51 What’s going on with Dame and James Harden? 01:04:17 Houston lands Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks 01:07:13 We love meatloaf 01:10:11 Back to Houston’s free agency 01:15:46 Kyle Kuzma stays in Washington?? 01:21:36 Phoenix Suns have a good free agency 01:25:03 Early NBA Summer League thoughts 01:31:52 Outro
The NBA Playoffs and Play-In Games are in full swing, and fans across the world are excited to see their favorite teams compete for the championship. Two of the teams in the spotlight this year are the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers. In this episode, we’ll take a look at the past and present of the Atlanta Hawks, recap the NBA Playoffs and Play-In Games, provide predictions for the postseason, and discuss some of the off-court drama involving NBA players.
I. Atlanta Hawks: Past and Present
The Atlanta Hawks franchise has a rich history that dates back to the 1940s, but they have yet to win an NBA championship. Despite this, the Hawks have made several playoff appearances in recent years, including this year’s Playoffs. The Hawks are led by Trae Young, who is widely regarded as one of the best young players in the league. Young has been instrumental in the Hawks’ success this season, averaging 25.3 points and 9.4 assists per game.
II. NBA Playoffs and Play-In Games: Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers
The Play-In Games were introduced to the NBA this year, and they have already provided some thrilling matchups. In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks faced off against the Miami Heat in a tense battle. The Hawks emerged victorious, thanks in part to Trae Young’s 25-point performance. The Hawks will now face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers have also had an eventful season, with several injuries and lineup changes. Despite this, the Lakers managed to secure the seventh seed in the Western Conference and earned a spot in the Playoffs. In their recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers came out on top, with LeBron James leading the charge with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.
LeBron James has been a force to be reckoned with in the NBA Playoffs throughout his career, with four championships to his name. James has won a total of 172 playoff games, which is the most in NBA history. The Lakers will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the Playoffs, and fans are eagerly anticipating another dominant performance from James and the Lakers.
As for predictions, it’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top this year. The Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Milwaukee Bucks are all strong contenders, but the playoffs are known for producing unexpected upsets and breakout performances. One player to keep an eye on is Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, who has been making waves with his electrifying play.
III. Off-Court Drama: Kyle Kuzma and Spencer Dinwiddie
In addition to the on-court action, there has been some drama brewing off the court involving NBA players Kyle Kuzma and Spencer Dinwiddie. The two players have been engaged in a feud on social media, with Dinwiddie calling out Kuzma for his lackluster performance on the court. It’s unclear what sparked the feud, but some speculate that it may have to do with Kuzma’s recent breakup with model Winnie Harlow.
IV. Coaching Changes in the NBA
This year has also seen several coaching changes in the NBA. The most high-profile of these changes was the firing of Nate McMillan from the Atlanta Hawks. Other coaches who were let go include Dwane Casey of the Detroit Pistons and Stephen Silas of the Houston Rockets.
There has been some discussion about whether there is discrimination among NBA coaches based on their race. In the 2020-21 season, only seven out of 30 NBA head coaches were Black. This has led to some criticism of the NBA and calls for more diversity and inclusion in coaching positions. Now, head coaches seem to be trending toward fewer white candidates as more and more coaches get their first shot with teams at all different points of competition level.
The NBA Playoffs and Play-In Games have provided fans with plenty of excitement and drama this year. The Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers are both in the mix, with the Hawks looking to make a deep playoff run and the Lakers hoping to defend their championship title. Off the court, there have been some interesting developments, including the feud between Kyle Kuzma and Spencer Dinwiddie and the coaching changes across the league. Regardless of what happens, fans can look forward to a thrilling postseason full of surprises and standout performances.
Timecodes: 00:00:00 Intro 00:06:44 Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat play-in game 00:29:49 Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves play-in game 00:42:28 Toronto Raptor vs Chicago Bulls Play-In game preview 00:49:43 Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans play-in game preview 00:50:18 Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma beef 01:07:14 Dwane Casey and Stephen Silas no longer head coaches 01:09:08 Are NBA coaches getting fired due to race? 01:28:14 Lakers or Hawks, who is more likely to pull off an upset 01:30:01 Remember this guy? 01:36:03 Outro
On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files Podcast, are Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans for real, Cade Cunningham is likely out for the season, the NBA awards received some new names, Jakob Poeltl is potentially on the trade block, who is returning to form more the Brooklyn Nets or the Philadelphia 76ers, Kyle Kuzma wants out and wants a lot of money, and who should trade for Bojan Bogdanovic.
Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans have been the talk of the league as they take over the first seed in the Western Conference. Both parties have been great this season and have defied many expectations. The Pelicans have had tons of injuries yet have stayed afloat to be a half-game ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies. Williamson has slowly been returning to his dominant self as he continues to score with the best of them. The real question is whether or not they are true NBA Finals contenders.
In unfortunate news, Cade Cunnigham has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to receiving shin surgery. The Detroit Pistons weren’t competing for much other than a shot at Victor Wembanyama, but it’s still a big blow to the excitement surrounding the team. Hopefully, it’s only a one-season occurrence.
The NBA decided to change the names of all of their season awards to commemorate some of the best players to come through the league. On top of that, they changed the look of all of them. We went through and decided if each one was a good or bad idea.
A couple of names have appeared on the trade block, Jakob Poeltl and Bojan Bogdanovic. Naturally, that means it’s time to predict who will trade for each one and which team should be trading for each one.
It’s time for another Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers debate. Both teams are returning to the form that many expected so which team is MORE back? Sure, that might not make sense, but you knew what we meant.
Finally, Kyle Kuzma is apparently making contract demands and team requests. He wants a lot of money from either a big market team or a competing team. Two scenarios that do not favor his wishes whatsoever. This should be interesting.
Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 04:52 Cade Cunningham out for the year 10:20 Are Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans true contenders? 29:38 Brooklyn Nets or Philadelphia 76ers, who’s more back 38:04 New NBA Award names, good or bad idea 44:24 Jakob Poeltl and Bojan Bogdanovic, who should trade for them 51:48 Kyle Kuzma’s outrageous demands 55:00 Outro
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
