Knicks Sizzle, Nuggets Fizzle, Reactions To NBA Exit Interviews | TAF311

Welcome back to The Atlantic Files! In episode 311, we’re diving deep into the latest buzz from the NBA playoffs, draft speculations, and insightful exit interviews. From red-hot teams like the New York Knicks to three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and future prospects like Bronny James, we’ve got all the must-know highlights from the world of basketball. Let’s jump right into the action!

Knicks’ Playoff Dominance and Jalen Brunson’s Leadership: We kick off the show with a spotlight on the New York Knicks’ impressive playoff performance, led by the stellar play of Jalen Brunson. With Brunson leading the charge, the Knicks are blazing a trail through the postseason, and we analyze their key to success and prospects for the championship.

Nuggets’ Struggles Against the Timberwolves: Shifting our focus to the Western Conference, we discuss the Denver Nuggets’ uphill battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs. Despite their regular-season success, the Nuggets find themselves in trouble against a resilient Timberwolves team, and we examine the factors contributing to their postseason struggles.

Nikola Jokic’s MVP Triumph: Next up, we celebrate Nikola Jokic’s well-deserved third NBA MVP award. As one of the league’s most dominant players, Jokic’s exceptional talent and leadership have propelled him to the top of the MVP race once again, and we reflect on his remarkable achievements and impact on the game.

Draft Speculations: Who Will Draft Bronny James?: Turning our attention to the upcoming NBA draft, we delve into the speculation surrounding Bronny James, son of basketball icon LeBron James. With the draft approaching, teams are vying for the opportunity to draft the highly touted prospect, and we explore potential landing spots for Bronny in the NBA.

Boston Celtics’ Path to a Championship: In a fascinating discussion, we ponder whether the current playoff landscape presents the Boston Celtics with their easiest path to a championship in the Jayson Tatum era. With the Celtics eyeing postseason success, we analyze their roster strengths, playoff matchups, and chances of hoisting the championship trophy.

Reacting to NBA Exit Interviews: We conclude the episode by reacting to insightful exit interviews from notable NBA players, GMs, and owners, including Daryl Morey, Joel Embiid, Matt Ishbia, and James Jones. From reflections on the season to future plans and aspirations, we provide our analysis and reactions to the candid interviews.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:54 The Celtics best chance for a ring
00:13:39 Can the Knicks make it to the NBA Finals?
00:25:06 Do the Nuggets have any hope now?
00:38:25 NBA Exit Interview reactions, best fits, and Bronny James
00:59:19 Outro

Trading Joel Embiid, Anthony Edwards and Michael Jordan Comps | TAF310

Tune in to episode 310 of The Atlantic Files as we dive into the latest NBA playoff drama, Anthony Edwards to Michael Jordan comparisons, and Joel Embiid trade possibilities. From heated debates to thrilling matchups, we provide expert analysis and insights on the action-packed first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Topics this week:

  1. Joel Embiid Trade Rumors: We start the episode by exploring the hot topic of whether the Philadelphia 76ers should trade Joel Embiid after this playoff run. With speculation swirling around Embiid’s future with the team, we analyze the potential benefits and drawbacks of parting ways with the star center and discuss possible trade scenarios.
  2. Anthony Edwards’ Comparison to Michael Jordan: Switching gears, we delve into the intriguing comparisons between Anthony Edwards and basketball legend Michael Jordan. As Edwards continues to impress with his athleticism and scoring ability, we examine the validity of these comparisons and discuss Edwards’ potential to become a future NBA superstar.
  3. New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Best First Round Series: We highlight the thrilling matchup between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, which many consider to be the best first round playoff series in a long time. From intense rivalries to nail-biting finishes, we dissect the key moments and storylines shaping this highly anticipated showdown.
  4. First Round Playoff Recap: We provide a comprehensive recap of the rest of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, checking in on the latest matchups, series standings, and standout performances from teams across the league. From underdog victories to dominant sweeps, we break down the action and offer insights into the playoff landscape.

Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:07:19 Should the 76ers consider trading Joel Embiid
00:39:00 Knicks vs 76ers the best first round series
00:41:27 Anthony Edwards compared to Michael Jordan
00:51:06 2024 NBA Playoffs check-in
01:07:02 Outro

Joel Embiid battling, Celtics drop a game, Jalen Brunson heating up | TAF309

Join us for episode 309 of The Atlantic Files as we dive deep into the latest drama and analysis from the 2024 NBA Playoffs. From standout performances to controversial plays, we dissect the action-packed first round series and provide expert commentary on the games and players shaping the postseason landscape.

Key Points:

  1. Jalen Brunson’s Struggles Against the Philadelphia 76ers: We kick off the episode by discussing Jalen Brunson‘s performance in the first round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite high expectations, Brunson has struggled to find his rhythm on the court, and we analyze the factors contributing to his underwhelming play.
  2. Joel Embiid’s Dominance and Controversy Against the New York Knicks: Switching gears, we delve into Joel Embiid‘s standout performance in Game 3 against the New York Knicks, where he scored an impressive 50 points. However, controversy surrounds Embiid’s aggressive playing style, with accusations of dirty play stirring debate among fans and analysts.
  3. Boston Celtics’ Home Loss to the Miami Heat: We discuss the Boston Celtics‘ disappointing loss at home to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of their first-round series. Despite having home-court advantage, the Celtics failed to secure a victory, and we analyze the factors contributing to their defeat and the adjustments needed for future games.
  4. First Round Playoff Recap: We provide a comprehensive overview of the rest of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, checking in on the latest matchups, series standings, and standout performances from teams across the league. From thrilling comebacks to unexpected upsets, we break down the action and offer insights into the postseason battles unfolding on the hardwood.

Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
01:52 Knicks vs Sixers and Jalen Brunson’s struggles
18:16 Joel Embiid drops 50 with dumb flagrant foul
26:27 Boston Celtics lose a game at home
30:47 Other first round series in the 2024 NBA Playoffs
42:34 Outro

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

James Harden Unleashed & The Wemby and Holmgren Show | TAF293

On episode 293 of The Atlantic Files, James Harden says he was on a leash in Philadelphia and he isn’t a system player, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are putting on a show, two Atlantic division teams are at the top of the East while the others have shown a mixed bag, and the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t been as good as expected so far.

James Harden did his first press conference since joining the Los Angeles Clippers and he talks about how he was on a leash in Philadelphia and that he needs a coach that he can trust who will also trust him. This is news to all of us, including Joel Embiid who was confused by his comments and said that they gave him the ball on every possession. Make this drama make sense, please!

Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks have yet to show their full potential after suffering a couple of bad losses in the early going of this season. Inefficient shooting, poor defense, and ejections have caused the team to look like they regressed from last year. Is this team actually as much of a title contender as everyone thought or did they ship out too much of their depth to be as good as they used to be?

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have been garnering all the hype for quite a while now. Deservedly so, these two rookies have lived up to all of the expectations and then some! Both of them have turned into must-see TV and have raised the level of each of their teams. This race for Rookie of the Year may be one of the closest in a long time!

Finally, we take a look at the Atlantic Division so far and how they’ve fared over the first few weeks of the season. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are at the top of the division and the conference while the other three are all next to each other in play-in territory. This is shaping up to be a fun year!

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:06:07 James Harden on a leash?!
00:29:42 Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks
00:44:30 Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are awesome
00:56:22 The Atlantic Division so far
01:09:31 Outro

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.

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

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

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

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

Doc Rivers, James Harden, Sixers, Philadelphia 76ers

James Harden Out, Doc Rivers On The Hot Seat | Sixers Saturday Ep2

To nobody’s surprise, the Philadelphia 76ers are still going through a bit of a rough patch and it looks like it’s getting a little more difficult. James Harden is now injured, the jury is still out on Doc Rivers’ coaching schemes, Joel Embiid is missing games, and the defense looks quite terrible. Did you hit Sixers bingo yet?

James Harden strained his foot during the team’s game against the Toronto Raptors. Despite the team losing their first three games, Harden was having a tremendous start to the season. He looked re-energized and fully healthy. Now, the Sixers will be without him for a month and the floor general duties will fall on Tyrese Maxey.

Speaking of Sixers losses this season, there are already six of them in 10 games. At least a few of them can be attributed to some questionable rotations, substitutions, and game plans. Doc Rivers is firmly on the hot seat during this rocky start and I’m not sure if he really even knows it. The defense looks atrocious and his reluctance to play both Matisse Thybulle and Paul Reed isn’t helping turn that around at all.

Joel Embiid has already been missing a big chunk of games and no one seems to know how many he’s actually going to miss with the non-COVID illness and plantar fasciitis that he’s dealing with. For a team that’s trying to right the ship and get back on track toward the playoff race, this is somewhat alarming. That’s not to mention that Embiid hasn’t played all that well to start the season.

Check out what we had to say on the latest episode of Sixers Saturday!

SUBSCRIBE HERE to see the live streams of Sixers Saturday, every week at 10 AM ET on Saturdays during the NBA season.

Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets, Jayson Tatum, Boston celtics, Atlantic Files

Jayson Tatum for MVP, Ben Simmons keeps fouling | TAF249

This week on The Atlantic Files, we have regular season basketball to talk about! With that being said, we dove into each Atlantic division team to see how they’re doing three-to-four games into the season. Then, we gave our biggest takeaways from the rest of the league so far into this first week or so.

First, we have to bring up the Philadelphia 76ers due to how much hype they were receiving coming into the season. So far, they’ve delivered the exact opposite of the expectations that were bestowed upon them. Joel Embiid has looked pretty awful, James Harden has actually looked phenomenal, and the rest of the team can’t play defense.

The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, are looking like the team that made the NBA Finals last season. Jayson Tatum is looking like an MVP candidate while the rest of the team is seemingly coming together with some great chemistry. Once their schedule ramps up, we’ll find out a lot about this team.

Then, we get to Brooklyn where the Nets are also underachieving just like the Sixers. Ben Simmons has fouled out twice already, Kyrie has already yelled at him to shoot the ball, and they also have only won one game so far.

Let’s look up to the north at the Toronto Raptors next. Their defense is looking as good as ever and Nick Nurse has them playing well together yet again. This team is going to make some big noise when it comes to playoff time.

Finally, even the New York Knicks are looking more scrappy and energetic than the Sixers and Nets. What world are we living in right now?!

Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
02:54 Sixers look like butt, James Harden has done well though
17:05 Jayson Tatum is looking like an MVP
23:23 Brooklyn Nets still figuring things out with Ben Simmons
31:33 Toronto Raptors are looking good to start the season
35:12 New York Knicks are getting somewhere!
47:11 Observations around the NBA
55:37 Thanks for watching!

Joel Embiid, James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Atlantic Files

Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers, who has the better roster?

By now, everyone knows that Kevin Durant has decided to stay with the Brooklyn Nets. The dramatic, reality show type of situation is finally over and nothing even happened. That leaves three teams fighting for the top of the Atlantic Division the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors.

No offense to any Raptors fans, but Toronto is still one of the up-and-coming teams especially compared to the Sixers and Nets. So we’re going to revisit them another time.

This comes down to the Nets roster vs the Sixers roster. Which one is better from top to bottom?

In Philadelphia, the bench got better through their off-season additions this year. James Harden has been working twice as hard as he finally doesn’t have to rehab an injury and Tyrese Maxey is getting ready to show even more growth in his third season.

On the other side, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are both coming back to Brooklyn. Ben Simmons is looking like he’ll finally be ready to go and the supporting pieces are getting healthier as well. Joe Harris wasn’t a factor at all last season, and he’s been one of the most consistent three-point shooters in the league.

So, which team are you taking? Are you taking the duo of Joel Embiid and Harden or Durant and Irving? Then, are you going to take the Sixers supporting cast or the Nets? This conversation is closer than people think, and it’s also fun for non-Sixers and non-Nets fans.