Tag / miami heat

Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Retirement, NBA Playoffs, Atlantic Files, Podcast
by Alex Fischbein

Nikola Jokic’s Dominance, LeBron James Retiring, And Jimmy Butler vs The World | TAF273

This week on the Atlantic Files, Nikola Jokic is producing at a historic level this postseason, LeBron James talks about retirement after getting swept by the Nuggets, Jimmy Butler is still wreaking havoc on the world, James Harden is trying to strong hand the Sixers into a max deal, rumors are swirling around a Mikal Bridges to Portland deal, and Monty Williams turns down the job in Detroit.

Nikola Jokic is producing triple-doubles left and right this postseason and is fresh off of averaging one during the sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets beat the Lakers so badly that it had LeBron James talking about retirement just to get the narrative off of the fact that he got swept.

On the other side of the bracket, Jimmy Butler led the Miami Heat to a 3-0 start in the Eastern Conference Finals before the Boston Celtics finally won a game. Butler has won over many NBA fans as he keeps walking the walk at the same time as talking the talk.

James Harden is now seeking a max deal after feeling like he sacrificed enough for one whole season that ended in a second-round exit at the hands of Jayson Tatum. The 76ers, on the other hand, don’t seem very interested in giving him all that money so we might see him go to Houston after all.

Finally, the rumor mills are turning as Mikal Bridges is the latest name swirling around. His name was mentioned in a trade that sent the number three pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and one or both of Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. The bigger question is whether or not the Nets want to compete or rebuild from the ground up.

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

Doc Rivers fired, Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid, James Harden, Boston Celtics, NBA, The Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Doc Rivers Fired, The Boston Celtics Survive | TAF272

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Doc Rivers gets fired from the Philadelphia 76ers, Jayson Tatum has a historic night as the Boston Celtics eliminated the 76ers again, both Conference Finals matchups are set, coaches are looking for jobs everywhere, the legacies of James Harden and Joel Embiid are on the line, and more!

Doc Rivers is officially out as the 76ers head coach even though Joel Embiid isn’t quite happy about it. The team choked another lead away and couldn’t get out of the second round for a third year in a row. Daryl Morey decided that the first domino to fall was Rivers as they try to appease to James Harden.

Jayson Tatum cashed in a historic Game 7 to beat down the 76ers and now sets his sights on Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. Can the Celtics finally end this Cinderella run or will Butler lead them back to the Finals just like the Disney Bubble year? Joe Mazzulla has had some shaky moments in the first two rounds, so he’ll need to tighten up against one of the best coaches in the league.

On the other side of the bracket, there are the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. It’s another story of the powerhouse favorite against the play-in underdog team. Nikola Jokic has been absolutely amazing this postseason, but Anthony Davis and LeBron James have made their own noise after taking down the Grizzlies and Warriors.

Finally, there are tons of coaches looking for jobs now. Which coach would fit better with each team that has an opening? Plus, how are the legacies of some of the eliminated players affected?

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:07:40 Doc Rivers fired as 76ers choke again
00:51:44 Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics Eastern Conference Finals
01:07:56 Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Western Conference Finals
01:13:12 Ja Morant and the Coaching Carousel
01:18:17 Talking with Mario from NBA A LA CHILENA
01:29:26 Outro

Joel Embiid, NBA MVP, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA playoffs, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Joel Embiid Wins MVP, Celtics and Knicks On The Brink | TAF271

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Joel Embiid finally wins his first MVP over Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Philadelphia 76ers have pushed the Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination, the New York Knicks are also trying to fend off elimination in their series, and more NBA Playoffs observations!

Joel Embiid has been a part of the highly debated MVP conversation over the last 2-to-3 seasons and it was finally his time to shine. With a substantial portion of the vote, he won his first MVP award over Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. This doesn’t exactly end the debate as people will likely talk about it for years to come, but no one can take away the MVP honors.

After a surprising Game 5 win, the Philadelphia 76ers pushed the Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination. Doc Rivers doesn’t have a great track record in series-clinching games and the Celtics are not a team that will go down without a fight. Can Joel Embiid and company actually push through the second round or will it be a Game 7 and maybe even a similar fate to the last few seasons?

The New York Knicks are in the same boat as the Celtics as they find themselves down 2-3 to the Miami Heat. A big Game 5 propelled them into at least one more game with Jalen Brunson leading the way as usual. The rest of the team just needs to step up so that Brunson doesn’t have to do everything the rest of the way.

Then, there are the two Western Conference semifinals, which have been entertaining in their own right. Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have been pushing the Suns around for the most part and LeBron James is determined to make father time look like a joke. Who do you have coming out of the West?

Finally, a surprising name popped up in the Toronto Raptors head coaching search. JJ Redick apparently was interviewed for the opening despite never openly showing any interest in actually being a coach. This could be something to watch closely moving forward!

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:35 Joel Embiid wins 2023 NBA MVP
00:11:13 Sixers win Game 5, could eliminate Celtics
00:31:36 Knicks down 2-3 to Miami
00:36:39 Nuggets vs Suns and Lakers vs Warriors series
00:46:49 JJ Redick interviewed for head coach of Toronto
00:48:42 outro

Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Josh Hart, New York Knicks, NBA Playoffs, Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat, Atlantic Files, Podcast
by Alex Fischbein

The New York Knicks And Playoff Jimmy Butler Are Real | TAF270

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, the New York Knicks are shutting down the Cleveland Cavaliers with ease, Jimmy Butler flipped his playoff switch against Milwaukee, the Philadelphia 76ers swept the Brooklyn Nets so what do they need to do this off-season, Ime Udoka got the job with the Houston Rockets, and more!

Both the Knicks and Jimmy Butler have flipped the playoff switch lately. New York is on a high right now as they took a 3-1 lead over the Cavaliers as the series goes back to Cleveland for Game 5. Many analysts, including us on this podcast, didn’t believe in the Knicks winning a series against a Donovan Mitchell-led Cavs team. Yet, here they are on the cusp of advancing to the second round! Then, there’s the tale as old as time in playoff Jimmy. Butler has taken the Heat to the edge of a huge upset over the first-seed Milwaukee Bucks after he put up a historic performance in Game 4.

Now that the Brooklyn Nets have been swept for the second time in two years, what do they need to avoid the same fate for a third consecutive season? How do they build after moving on from the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving experiment? Well, a good start is having players like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, that’s for sure! It’s time to talk about the pieces they need around those two.

Ime Udoka’s name has been thrown around rumor mills for every single team that needed a head coach. Finally, two teams fired their coaches and then it became a contest of which one could hire him quicker. Reportedly, he didn’t want the Toronto job, so he ended up taking the Houston opening. Does he immediately make them a playoff contender, or is there still a long way to go for this squad?

Finally, we go over the other playoff series around the league and talk about the hottest topics. Dillon Brooks is regretting poking the bear, the Minnesota Timberwolves finally won a game, the Los Angeles Clippers are injured again, and more!

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:56 2023 NBA Playoffs observations
00:46:32 New York Knicks making the ECF
01:03:31 Joel Embiid sprains his LCL
01:16:58 Brooklyn Nets changes they need to make in the off-season
01:30:08 Ime Udoka heading to Houston
01:34:15 Outro

Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Jayson Tatum Still Owns The Philadelphia 76ers | TAF264

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics put away the Philadelphia 76ers yet again, the Brooklyn Nets start to struggle, Russell Westbrook’s first game with the Los Angeles Clippers, historic games since the All-Star break, Jimmy Butler frustrated with Miami’s record, and much more!

In case anyone missed it, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics had an instant classic type of game against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers last weekend. The game was ultimately decided by a game-winning shot by Tatum and even though Embiid made a three-quarter-court shot, it didn’t count and the Celtics won. Why can’t the Sixers ever beat the Celtics and what will it take for them to actually have playoff success?

To nobody’s surprise, the Brooklyn Nets are starting to struggle after trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. While they found a gem in Mikal Bridges, he hasn’t exactly been enough to stay afloat and keep this team in the top half of the Eastern Conference. So, where do they go from here?

Ever since the worst NBA All-Star Game of all time, we’ve now seen some of the greatest regular season games of all time. The double overtime contest between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings was an instant all-timer while there have been even more close games, buzzer-beaters, and overtimes. Russell Westbrook contributed right away to the Clippers in their starting lineup and we’ve seen some more interesting performances from other additions around the league.

Load management is a hot topic yet again across the league and across all the national media outlets. There was a big debate on First Take and everyone else has followed suit across other podcasts and shows everywhere. Where do you stand on the load management debate and why is it on the side that players need to be available more often?

Finally, Jimmy Butler let his frustrations get out during a post-game interview and now it calls the Miami Heat to question as they continue to underperform down the stretch. They haven’t had a fully healthy team all season and while the addition of Kevin Love has been great, it doesn’t seem to be enough right now. Can they actually make any noise come playoff time?

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:54 Jayson Tatum’s game winner over the Philadelphia 76ers
00:15:28 Doc Rivers needs to make more adjustments
00:31:52 Brooklyn Nets are struggling now
00:40:20 Load Management in the NBA is a hot topic again
01:04:57 Double overtime games and excitement so far after the break
01:13:16 Jimmy Butler is fed up with losing
01:22:44 Remember this guy?
01:27:25 Outro

2023 NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Weekend, Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

2023 NBA All-Star Weekend Was Garbage | TAF263

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, we give our thoughts and reactions to the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities, Russell Westbrook reportedly heading to the Los Angeles Clippers, Kevin Love nearing a deal with the Miami Heat, and rest of the season predictions and outlooks.

Now that we’re already nearing the end of February, the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend has come and gone. Another weekend of boring basketball, boring contests, and everyone talking about how player x saved the dunk contest and player z saved the All-Star game. The truth is that it’s beyond saving and we’ll explain why!

Outside of the All-Star festivities, Russell Westbrook is heading to the Los Angeles Clippers to join his old friend Paul George. He doesn’t even have to move cities and he went from a struggling squad to a firm playoff contender. Will Westbrook push this team over the edge though?

Speaking of buyout players moving teams, Kevin Love is reportedly going to sign with the Miami Heat after getting bought out in Cleveland. Does this signing really make much of a difference for Miami’s championship odds or is there a lot more needed to put them up in the top four of the East?

Finally, we took a look ahead to the rest of the regular season and which teams might make a true push while others fall back and potentially miss the playoffs altogether. Who do you have as a dark-horse contender?

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:07:20 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend thoughts and reactions
00:50:00 Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Clippers
01:05:44 Kevin Love heading to the Miami Heat
01:11:02 Predictions for the rest of the NBA Regular Season
01:17:23 Remember this guy, trivia
01:24:02 Outro

Atlanta Hawks, Dejounte Murray, Southeast Division, NBA, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Will Dejounte Murray turn around the Atlanta Hawks | TAF246

This week on The Atlantic Files, we preview the Southeast Division where Dejounte Murray looks to help the Atlanta Hawks get back to deep playoff runs, Blake Griffin signs with the Boston Celtics, the NBA Preseason is underway, Oklahoma City and Houston traded a bunch of players, the Toronto Raptors are monitoring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s situation, and we take a look at the annual GM survey from the NBA!

A lot of depressing rosters have made their home in the Southeast division over recent years. The only team that really was a championship threat was the Miami Heat. This time around, there are still a few depressing rosters, but both the Heat and the Atlanta Hawks look like they could make some noise! Dejounte Murray found himself move from a tanking situation to a contender, so can he help Atlanta get back to the Conference Finals?

Blake Griffin is officially staying in the Atlantic Division! After playing with the Brooklyn Nets last season and then not getting another offer, he found his home in Boston. The cleanup crew just got even better for the Celtics. Griffin is bringing his charge drawing abilities on top of his high effort in all of his bench minutes. Yet another sneaky good addition from Brad Stevens and company.

The NBA Preseason is officially underway! We’ve seen the Phoenix Suns lose to an NBL team, the Philadelphia 76ers blowout the Nets without most of their starters, and so much more. We gave our top observations and takeaways from the games that have been played so far.

In trade news, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets swapped a bunch of bench players so that the Thunder could get under the tax line. A couple pieces of the trade have already been waived, so this really has no effect on the day-to-day talent of each team.

Rumors are now swirling that the Toronto Raptors and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are starting to form a link. The Raptors are reportedly keeping tabs on the situation in Oklahoma City just in case Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t want to wait for this tank job to finally end.

Finally, we take a look at the survey that’s done by all of the NBA’s General Managers. They answered a ton of questions about the current state of the league and even some predictions for how the season is going to turn out. We gave our thoughts to the best and worst answers.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro & Dennis’s dungeon
00:07:09 2022-23 NBA Southeast Division Preview
00:39:03 Observations from the NBA Preseason
00:54:32 Blake Griffin signs with the Boston Celtics
00:56:08 Toronto Raptors are monitoring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
01:03:23 Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets trade
01:04:58 Reactions and thoughts on annual NBA GM Survey
01:28:12 Outro

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

Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Durant, trade, Atlantic Files, Podcast
by Alex Fischbein

Kevin Durant slithering away again | The Atlantic Files Ep235

This week on the Atlantic Files podcast, we talk about Kevin Durant requesting a trade seemingly out of nowhere, the continuing saga around Kyrie Irving, the Philadelphia 76ers signing some much-needed role players, and all of the results of the NBA Free Agency period so far!

Kevin Durant shocked the NBA world by requesting a trade after only two failed seasons on the team that he wanted to create. His and the Brooklyn Nets’ shortcomings have been well documented over the last couple of seasons. So, after seeing his former team win a championship, something inside of him said that he needed to go somewhere else to win a ring. If his legacy wasn’t on the line before, it sure is now.

Durant’s teammate and friend, Kyrie Irving, is also waiting to hear about a trade away from Brooklyn. He did opt into his contract, only to hear Durant want out. Now, the Nets are working with the Los Angeles Lakers and maybe others to find a place to finally rid themselves of this headache.

In other news in the Atlantic, the Philadelphia 76ers addressed one of their biggest needs this off-season. They needed some tough enforcers and some bench pieces to prevent their bench from only scoring six points in meaningful games. Adding the likes of PJ Tucker, and Danuel House, and trading for De’Anthony Melton did just that. Of course, the Sixers fans are never happy, so they’re waiting for another shoe to drop and a big deal to take place.

Finally, we recapped some of the biggest moves and takeaways of the 2022 NBA free agency period so far. A lot of Eastern teams made moves to get better and a handful of teams decided it was time to blow it all up.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 Intro
00:05:53 Kevin Durant requests a trade, Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat top two
00:30:11 Kyrie Irving opted in but looking for trade as well
00:47:12 Philadelphia 76ers sign role players and trade Danny Green
01:00:21 Takeaways from 2022 NBA Free Agency so far

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Anthony Davis has a bold strategy | The Atlantic Files Ep232

This week on the Atlantic Files podcast, we welcome Alex Burns to the show! He’s a fantasy basketball writer for RotoBaller and covers the Miami Heat for The Lead! Topics of discussion this week include Anthony Davis not shooting a basketball in months, the struggling offenses for both teams in the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors taking a 3-2 lead, the Miami Heat reportedly interested in James Wiseman, if Zion Williamson is worth the max or not, Bradley Beal’s future in DC, and the big men that could be on the move!

Being a Miami Heat fan and writer for The Lead, Alex Burns had to come on and give us some information on the Heat’s interest in James Wiseman. It’s rumored that he’s their target, but we were wondering what would happen with Bam Adebayo then. He also talks about the feeling of Jimmy Butler beating his former team in the playoffs, but that wasn’t nearly as fun to talk about.

We also had to talk NBA Finals, of course. After Game Five, the Golden State Warriors took a 3-2 lead over the Boston Celtics, and the chances that this young Celtics team could take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy are looking slimmer. Jayson Tatum isn’t exactly playing up to expectations, while Andrew Wiggins is exceeding all expectations on the other side. Everyone on the show had the Warriors winning but in different amounts of games.

Then, it comes to Anthony Davis and his shocking information. He admitted that he hasn’t even shot a basketball since April 9 of this year. He tried to clarify this by saying that’s what he always he does because works on improving his body before his basketball skills, but that hasn’t seemed to work too much over the years. So, something might just need to change with this regimen.

Finally, we wrap things up with whether or not Zion Williamson is worth a max contract, Bradley Beal’s unlikely future in Washington, and all of the big men that are rumored to be on the move this offseason. Tune in to hear all of our thoughts!

FOLLOW ALEX BURNS!
https://twitter.com/aburnshoops
https://www.rotoballer.com/author/alexburnshoops

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:16 Alex Burns gives Dennis his flowers
00:02:31 Alex and Dennis give their most incorrect ranked player
00:07:03 NBA Finals Game 5, Warriors take 3-2 lead
00:22:12 Miami Heat interested in James Wiseman, where does Bam Adebayo go
00:39:59 Anthony Davis hasn’t shot a basketball since April
00:47:37 Is Zion Williamson worth a max contract
00:51:40 Centers on the Free Agency market
01:00:21 Bradley Beal’s future with the Washington Wizards

Quin Snyder, Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz, Atlantic Files Podcast
by Alex Fischbein

Quin Snyder left, will Donovan Mitchell? | The Atlantic Files Ep231

On this week’s episode of the Atlantic Files Podcast, Quin Snyder resigned from the Utah Jazz, will Donovan Mitchell force his way out as well, the NBA Finals continue as the series is tied 1-1, Tyler Herro’s case to be a starter, Kyrie Irving’s future in Brooklyn, and more!

The biggest news story other than the NBA Finals happening is the fact that Quin Snyder has stepped down from being the head coach of the Utah Jazz. This is during a time when the Jazz are in a state of flux. Rumors of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell not being able to play together have been swirling for a while. Now, does this coaching change mean Mitchell could just force his way out?

Speaking of the NBA Finals, at the time of this recording the series was tied 1-1. We revisited some of our predictions about the Finals and checked if anything has changed since then. Also, we took a deep dive into the stats of the Finals so far and what’s happening for each team.

A little while ago, Tyler Herro said he wants to start for the Miami Heat now that he has accomplished Sixth Man of the Year. Pat Riley made a statement telling him to go into training camp and earn it. All in all, it was a fair statement from Riley, but he probably should be calling out some other players rather than only Herro.

Rumors and Kyrie Irving just seem to go hand-in-hand these days. There have been rumors now that he might sign with the Philadelphia 76ers and then also rumors that he’ll sign an extension with the Brooklyn Nets. Do the Nets really want to pay him all the money he’s going to ask for though?

Finally, the NBA talked about shortening the season and maybe even adding a mid-season tournament. This seems a little ridiculous that we’re talking about lessening the workload for professional athletes especially when the roughest sport of all, football, extended its season by another week. We understand money is the driving factor, but there have to be a lot of other options than just shortening the season.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:52 NBA Finals thoughts, series tied 1-1
00:20:03 Tyler Herro wants to start, Pat Riley says earn it
00:34:50 Quin Snyder resigns, what will Donovan Mitchell do
00:52:53 Kyrie Irving’s future in Brooklyn
00:59:30 Kevin Durant calls out Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless
01:07:51 Should the NBA shorten the season
01:17:34 Jalen Brunson a future Knick?