Tag / russell westbrook

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!

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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?

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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?

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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

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

2022-23 NBA Season, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

2022-23 NBA Season Predictions, Previews, and More | TAF248

This week on the Atlantic Files Podcast, we give our 2022-23 NBA season and award predictions, finish off our divisional preview series with none other than the Atlantic Division, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole get extensions, Russell Westbrook is coming off of the bench, Ben Simmons admits that he and Joel Embiid aren’t friends, plus we debut our new fantasy basketball segment!

As we record this episode we are on the cusp of a new NBA season! We finally made it to the 2022-23 season and we couldn’t more excited! So, you know that that means, predictions and previews galore.

We finished our divisional preview series with the Atlantic Division and then gave all of our predictions for the new season. Awards, playoffs, the eventual winners, we’re giving our thoughts on everything.

In case you haven’t heard yet, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole both got big-time paid! They inked extensions with the Golden State Warriors despite all of the drama surrounding Poole and Draymond Green. That should set up some very interesting drama with what the Warriors will end up doing with Green.

Then, the Russell Westbrook and Los Angeles Lakers saga continues! Westbrook is shunning the team huddle these days. On top of that, coach Darvin Ham has been experimenting with bringing Westbrook off the bench for the first time in his career. There’s no possible way this could end badly, right?

In an interview, Ben Simmons talked about how he and Joel Embiid were never really friends. Finally, it confirms something that everyone suspected based on body language and on-court chemistry. They don’t have to fake since they’re not teammates anymore.

Finally, we have our weekly ‘Whatchu Got’ segment as well as a new fantasy basketball segment! Hopefully, we can help some of you out there with your fantasy basketball leagues!

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

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:13:17 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year predictions
00:26:09 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year predictions
00:34:34 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year predictions
00:38:50 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year predictions
00:43:55 2022-23 NBA MVP predictions
00:49:36 2022-23 NBA Champion predictions
00:58:06 2022-23 NBA Atlantic Division Preview
01:16:07 Ben Simmons admits he’s not friends with Joel Embiid
01:17:57 Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins sign extensions
01:22:25 Russell Westbrook not joining Lakers huddles
01:25:43 Who will rebuild better, Thunder vs Rockets vs Pacers
01:32:09 2022-23 fantasy basketball advice
01:40:32 Outro

NBA 2k23, Patrick Beverley, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlantic files
by Alex Fischbein

NBA 2k23 ratings & Patrick Beverley trade | TAF241

This week on the Atlantic Files Podcast, we take a look at some NBA 2K23 ratings, give our best and worst ratings, predict some ratings, talk about the Patrick Beverley to Los Angeles trade, Gilbert Arenas comments about Giannis Antetokounmpo, John Wall admitting to some very dark days, RJ Barrett’s extension, and the Brooklyn Nets signing Markieff Morris.

NBA 2K23’s release date is fast approaching. The time is coming when everyone sees what all the players’ new ratings are and then the debates begin while everyone throws insults at the game developers who chose the ratings. Since the ratings aren’t officially out yet, we decided to look at the latest ratings from NBA 2K22 and then come up with who we think should be the new top ten in the latest game.

Patrick Beverley was shipped to Utah in the Rudy Gobert trade, but now he’s on the move yet again. The Los Angeles Lakers shipped out Stanley Johnson and Talen Horton-Tucker to bring in Beverley’s services. He even went on TV and said that if the Lakers had him on their team that they would have won the Finals. Time to put those words into existence.

Gilbert Arenas is making his rounds on the internet again. This time, he talked about how Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t really understand the game of basketball or understand how to train his body. Seeing as Giannis is a MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Champion, and Finals MVP, those are some interesting words. Is there any truth to them?

John Wall, in an interview, admitted that he was in a very dark place the last few years. His basketball future was up in the air, and that was bringing a dark cloud with it over his personal life. We’re all hoping he gets back to the John Wall we all knew and loved, and hopefully the dark days are a thing of the past.

We had a couple of signings in the last couple of days as well. RJ Barrett inked a nice extension with the New York Knicks for up to $120M and the Brooklyn Nets signed Markieff Morris to bolster their bench unit.

Finally, we revealed a stat that has only been accomplished by Russell Westbrook, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett in the last ten seasons!

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:06:34 Patrick Beverley traded to the Lakers
00:20:01 NBA 2K23 ratings predictions
00:44:26 RJ Barrett signs extension with the Knicks
00:54:05 Markieff Morris signs with the Brooklyn Nets
00:56:57 John Wall talks about dark days in last three years
01:04:06 Gilbert Arenas comments on Giannis Antetokounmpo
01:20:40 Russell Westbrook, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett have something in common
01:27:10 Outro

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

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets, 2022 NBA Free Agency, Atlantic Files
by Alex Fischbein

Kyrie Irving is not dependable | The Atlantic Files Ep234

This week on the Atlantic Files podcast, Kyrie Irving caused a lot of drama and rumors surrounding the Brooklyn Nets, John Wall is heading to Los Angeles, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook are both staying put, and an NBA Free Agency preview!

Before any of the NBA Free Agency officially kicked off, we already have some trades and news of opt-outs coming in. John Wall is one who is working on a buyout with the Houston Rockets and apparently has also decided to go to the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s been a very long time since we’ve even seen Wall play an NBA game, so teaming up with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard should be very interesting.

Bradley Beal opted out as well, but he’s expected to sign a five-year supermax with the Washington Wizards. Also, Russell Westbrook is staying put as he opted in to his option with the Los Angeles Lakers. Beal’s part is a little surprising due to all of the rumors about him being traded. The longer and bigger contract is probably a little more difficult to actually trade. Westbrook, on the other hand, is quite expected. Now the Lakers have to figure out if they want to just use him as a scapegoat again or actually trade him for some supporting pieces.

The big topic of this week’s episode is Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets. There were tons of conflicting rumors that said Kyrie is either looking for a sign-and-trade or he’s staying in Brooklyn. A rumor that came out of the mess was that the Nets thought Kyrie was not dependable and that apparently upset Kyrie. News flash, anyone can see the amount of games he’s played in Brooklyn and realize that he is the farthest thing from dependable!

Finally, we preview the rest of the 2022 NBA free agency and all of the potential free agents that could be moving teams this off-season. A lot of quality role players are on the market and the championship contending teams could be making tons of trades and signings!

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:31 Kyrie Irving is the least dependable on the Brooklyn Nets
00:16:04 John Wall heading to the Los Angeles Clippers!
00:26:31 Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook staying put
00:41:28 2022 NBA Free Agency Preview

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

LeBron and Los Angeles Lakers crumble | The Atlantic Files Ep222

This week on the Atlantic Files Podcast, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are officially eliminated from the playoffs and rumors of Doc Rivers taking over as head coach has already begun, Ben Simmons officially files a grievance against the Philadelphia 76ers, Chris Paul sets another win record for yet another team, and the play-in teams are finally decided!

As we’re sure you’ve heard by now from the numerous media outlets, the Los Angeles Lakers are officially out of the playoffs! The “good on paper, but old on the court” strategy did not go so well for them this year. Plenty of moves are in store for them in the off-season, and it’s bound to get crazy.

One of those moves seems to be for a new head coach. Doc Rivers, even though he’s still coaching for the Philadelphia 76ers and hasn’t been rumored to be fired, is near the top of the list to come coach in LA. Not exactly sure how that works since he still has a job elsewhere, but hey, it’s LeBron and the Lakers, rules don’t apply.

Almost all of the play-in tournament games are decided at this point. The only one waiting is the seventh seed out West between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Either way, we give our predictions on who would be coming out of each play-in tournament in both conferences.

Another chapter to the Ben Simmons saga has officially been added. He officially filed the rumored grievance against the Sixers to recoup somewhere around $20M. This will surely take away all attention from the team only hovering around an eighth or ninth seed, right?

Finally, Chris Paul adds more to his impressive resume. He has now been a part of four separate teams’ records for most wins in a single season. He’s helped the Hornets, Clippers, Rockets, and now Suns all reach their best win total for a season. That’s insane!

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro and Season Ticket debacle
3:35 – The NBA play-in tournament and who will win
17:52 – Los Angeles Lakers eliminated & Windhorst report
21:42 – Doc Rivers the next Lakers head coach?
26:41 – Chris Paul sets another single-season win record
28:26 – Ben Simmons files a grievance and out through play-in tourney
30:00 – Closing thoughts

philadelphia 76ers, bradley beal, james harden, joel embiid
by Alex Fischbein

Bradley Beal to Philly too?! | The Atlantic Files Ep218

On this week’s episode of The Atlantic Files, we talk about the rumors from Andrew Bogut that Bradley Beal wants to team up with James Harden and Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons is filing a grievance against the Sixers, all of this hate against Russell Westbrook, Zion Williamson all of a sudden getting healthy, some Los Angeles Clippers conditionals, and who we want to start a team out of Ja Morant, Trae Young, or Luka Doncic.

What seemed to be out of nowhere, Andrew Bogut dropped a rumor on everyone that Bradley Beal now wants to make a super team in Philadelphia. He apparently wants to go team up with James Harden and Joel Embiid! Obviously, a lot of things have to happen in terms of the cap room and trades for this to happen, but the thought of it is quite crazy. That would be one deadly offensive team.

On the uglier side of all the trade fallout, Ben Simmons is filing a grievance against the Philadelphia 76ers to recoup some of the money that he lost in all the games and practices that he didn’t show up for. He’s reportedly going to use the reaction from the fans to prove how hostile the environment was so he has a more thorough case. Not sure what else to say other than, yikes!

Then, all of a sudden Zion Williamson is getting healthy, dropping some weight, and somewhat close to returning to the New Orleans Pelicans. Not sure how it all happened so fast, but they could be a dangerous team to face come playoff time if he’s suiting up!

Speaking of injured superstars coming back, there have been some videos of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard working their ways back. If they came back does this make the Los Angeles Clippers automatic title favorites?

Finally, we wonder which young star would be the best player to build a new team around. Would you take Luka Doncic, Trae Young, or Ja Morant? All three are incredible and playing some amazing basketball. Which one really could take your team to the promised land though?

Timecodes:
0:00 – Intro
4:20 – Stop with the Russell Westbrook hate
21:05 – Bradley Beal heading to Philly in the off-season
33:30 – Ben Simmons filing a grievance against the Sixers
48:13 – Zion Williamson all of a sudden coming back
55:09 – Los Angeles Clippers favorites with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard back?
1:02:48 – Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, or Trae Young?