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

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

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

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.

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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

Damian Lillard And Jrue Holiday Traded! | TAF288

On episode 288 of The Atlantic Files, Damian Lillard is traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and joins Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday heads to the Boston Celtics, we break down all of the trade pieces, and then we put together all of our divisional previews for one big preview episode!

Finally, we get a resolution to the Damian Lillard saga that has gone on for months. He’s on his way to join Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks to form a super-duo. Question marks still exist with this team’s health like that of Khris Middleton. Also, the team as a whole is getting older and older, so their window to win another championship is very short. Will the new coach lead them back to the promised land?

Another side of the trade was moving Jrue Holiday to Portland who then was moved to Boston. The Trail Blazers got some more assets out of it while Holiday moved to another Eastern Conference contender. His fit in Boston is perfect as he replaces the role that Marcus Smart vacated. With the addition of Holiday, however, that improves the offense in ways that Smart was unable to.

To wrap up this week’s episode, we stitched together all of our divisional previews from the past six weeks to bring one big preview episode. Let us know what you think of each division and who you have winning each one to make the playoffs this year!

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Timecodes:
00:01:51 – Damian Lillard traded to Milwaukee
00:10:40 – Jrue Holiday traded to Boston
00:20:15 – 2023-24 NBA Central Division preview
00:31:44 – 2023-24 NBA Atlantic Division preview
00:42:00 – 2023-24 NBA Southeast Division preview
01:01:25 – 2023-24 NBA Pacific Division preview
01:10:55 – 2023-24 NBA Northwest Division preview
01:24:48 – 2023-24 NBA Southwest Division preview

Damian Lillard May Go To Toronto?! | TAF287

Editor’s Note: This was recorded before Damian Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks

This week, on episode 287 of The Atlantic Files, reportedly, the Toronto Raptors are the frontrunners to land Damian Lillard all of a sudden, Buddy Hield is now on the trade block with the Dallas Mavericks rumored as the frontrunners, and we finish our divisional preview series with the Atlantic Division.

Damian Lillard‘s trade saga continues but more and more teams keep entering the mix. Now, all of a sudden, the Toronto Raptors are the frontrunners to land the superstar guard. What does that mean for the rest of the league and especially the Miami Heat?! We give our thoughts on whether or not he’ll actually end up in Canada or if it’s just a smokescreen before he lands in Miami.

Speaking of trades, Buddy Hield is now firmly on the trade block. The Indiana Pacers are shopping him and he’s open to a trade to a place where he can sign an extension. Right now, the Dallas Mavericks are the best fit, but it’s unclear whether they have the pieces that the Pacers truly want. We talk about where he should go and if he’ll actually find a new home before the season starts.

Finally, we wrap up our divisional preview series by taking a look at the Atlantic Division. We give our thoughts on all of the deals that went down and which Atlantic team might surprise everyone. With this division, it brings our divisional preview series to an end and we will be posting all of our previews stitched together into one big preview episode later on!

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:04:21 Dennis sets a Christmas scene
00:07:10 New Year Gym struggles
00:12:08 Fantasy Football corner: Week 3
00:26:32 Toronto is the frontrunner for Damian Lillard
00:49:37 Buddy Hield is on the trading block
01:10:09 Atlantic Division Preview
01:21:08 Outro

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

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

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

Jaylen Brown Gets The Bag! | TAF280

On episode 280 of The Atlantic Files, Jaylen Brown gets a supermax extension from the Boston Celtics, Mikal Bridges hypes up Ben Simmons like many have done before, Donovan Mitchell apparently won’t stay in Cleveland, we discuss the top rookies for redraft and fantasy basketball leagues, and we play the NBA grid game!

Jaylen Brown gets a whole boatload of money from the Celtics to go with a five-year extension. Now, the debate is whether or not he can produce enough to match the amount of money he’s making. Some don’t even think he’s the second-best player on his team!

Mikal Bridges went on Paul George‘s podcast and talked about Ben Simmons and where the team’s mindset is at in regard to getting him back on the court. Bridges hyped up Simmons’ attitude and his work ethic heading into this season while he said that Simmons was actually the one talking the most in their team group chat. Will this turn into yet another hype reel that doesn’t turn into any real production?

Now, there are reports flying around that Donovan Mitchell won’t be staying in Cleveland longer than his current contract. His eyes are already set on another city apparently and the team would be smart to just trade him away to get something for him. Should they keep him and try to convince him to stay instead?

Finally, we discuss the top rookies heading into this season for fantasy basketball. We talk about both redraft and dynasty leagues and the best rookies to look out for if you happen to be participating in either one this year!

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Timestamps:
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:07 Jaylen Brown gets the Supermax from the Boston Celtics
00:11:58 Mikal Bridges hypes up Ben Simmons
00:24:18 Donovan Mitchell won’t stay in Cleveland?
00:33:31 Top fantasy basketball rookies for redraft leagues
00:47:28 Top fantasy basketball rookies for dynasty leagues
00:59:28 The NBA Grid game!
01:14:22 Outro