The Atlantic Files

The Boston Celtics have shot out to a 22-8 start in their first 30 games this year. Jayson Tatum has been a big part of that. He's still improving as he's only 21 years old, and he's one of the team's leading scorers already. The question that should be asked is whether or not Tatum is a superstar. On this week's episode of The Atlantic Files, Alex talks about the Celtics dismantling the Toronto Raptors on Christmas day, but also questions if Tatum is considered a superstar yet or not. The Raptors, however, have their own budding superstar but didn't even need him to blow out the Celtics just a few days after Christmas. Kyle Lowry, Fred Van Vleet, and company are keeping the team afloat despite the injuries, and the Raptors are still looking like a dangerous team to play come playoff time. One guy to watch is OG Anunoby and how he continues to grow. Philadelphia is a whole different conundrum than previously thought. They can't seem to compete at the same high level whenever they're not in the national spotlight. That old saying of playing down to the competition is true with this team, and that doesn't give anyone a warm fuzzy feeling moving forward. Finally, we have the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. They played one of the ugliest games of the year against each other when the Nets could only muster up 82 points for the whole game. Not even sure what else to say about these two... Topic Rundown: 1:30 - Celtics on Christmas and Tatum superstar talk 11:00 - Raptors hosting Christmas game for the first time and the fight of the team 17:35 - Sixers playing down and losing two right after Christmas domination 22:15 - Knicks and Nets both sinking but trying to hold promise

One team that's starting to get put into the hot seat is the Philadelphia 76ers. More specifically, Brett Brown. Alex discusses this and more hot topics going on in the Atlantic Division. The Sixers look like a middle school team trying to break any type of full-court presses or 2-3 zones. Multiple teams have utilized the zone against them and they have been rendered helpless almost every time. Does this fall on Brett Brown or the players not knowing how to operate? Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker are the new-age big three of the Boston Celtics. They're tearing up the opponent on the offensive end and that has vaulted them into the top spot of the Atlantic. Can this continue when Gordon Hayward gets back and will Jaylen Brown continue to prove his worth? Everyone is quite sure there's nothing going on with the New York Knicks this season, right? So that means it's time to look at some assets and see what could potentially bring back something good in the trade market. That brings Marcus Morris to the front of the congregation. The Knicks should strike while the iron is hot, and let Morris play for a real contender! Finally, the Brooklyn Nets are doing more than just treading water while Kyrie Irving is out. Does anyone have faith they can flip a switch when he and Caris LeVert both get healthy? topic rundown: 1:45 - Sixers, Ben Simmons, Brett Brown, and their zone troubles 11:30 - Celtics big three of Tatum, Brown, Walker 19:50 - Knicks need to look into trade market 27:30 - Nets need it to be next season so Kevin Durant can play

No more vacations, holiday travel, or sicknesses, the Atlantic Files has returned yet again! On this week's episode, Alex touches on the strange difference in Joel Embiid's game this season. The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the best teams in the East. Their record, however, might not show that they could hang with a team like the Milwaukee Bucks. Ben Simmons has shown that he's willing to shoot threes here and there, but Joel Embiid has seemed a little off. Is this due to a maturing attitude towards the regular season, or is he all of a sudden regressing due to not adding anything new in the off-season? The New York Knicks fired their head coach. Surprise, surprise. This is magically going to fix all of their problems, right? Well, that's obviously what their front office thinks. That's probably why they've only won four games. Also, are the Brooklyn Nets a better team without Kyrie Irving on the floor? Could Nick Nurse win Coach of the Year? Hear Alex's thoughts in the full episode below! Topic Rundown: 2:00 - New York Knicks making dumb moves 12:30 - Stats behind the Kyrie Irving-less Nets 20:45 - Can Joel Embiid and the Sixers flip a switch when it's needed 31:15 - The Toronto Raptors defense and Nick Nurse's genius

Lob City is back baby! No, we're not talking about Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, but it does involve DeAndre Jordan. Spencer Dinwiddie is planning on bringing it back all by himself and Mike and Dennis are fed up with it already! Dennis Clausen joins the show again this week to discuss the Brooklyn Nets not-so-great start and the state of the NBA so far. The Philadelphia 76ers aren't exactly firing on all cylinders when it comes to the offensive end, but that defense has been suffocating up until their game against Phoenix. Will Ben Simmons ever use the shot he was working on during the off-season though? The world may never know. Then, the Knicks and Raptors are doing what we thought they would do, but the Celtics decided to step up. After we talked some trash on their play, Boston shaped up to the tune of four wins in a row! Plus, other surprises like the Timberwolves and Suns start to the season and more! Topic Rundown: 1:30 - Brooklyn Nets troubles 6:00 - Kyrie Irving iso ball vs James Harden iso ball 15:20 - Philadelphia 76ers hot start 19:00 - Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves looking good to start 28:25 - Boston Celtics playing like they should 37:00 - Toronto Raptors with up-start players

The NBA season is back baby! Kyrie Irving dropped 50 points, the Philadelphia 76ers defense was on full display, and we got to see the first installment of the battle for LA. The Brooklyn Nets, as a team, looked quite good against Minnesota, but just came up short. They weren't the only ones who ended up going into overtime. Toronto also went into overtime against New Orleans on the same night they raised their banner and received their rings. Heroes of the pod, Pascal Siakam and Fred Van Vleet, balled out! Meanwhile, the Sixers and Celtics had a big-time defensive battle. The game was ugly many times, but the Sixers ended up prevailing. Finally, the Knicks did surprise some people against San Antonio. Kudos to them for not losing by too much. Topic Rundown: 3:00 - Toronto Raptors first game 6:15 - Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving looking like a MVP 11:15 - New York Knicks surprising people 18:15 - Ugly game between Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics 29:30 - Deandre Ayton suspended 32:00 - Top 4 teams according to odds

We saved the best division for last in the division preview series. The Atlantic Division, home to three teams with championship hopes and the defending champs themselves. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets are the two teams with the most hype this time around. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid reloaded with some great teammates, and Brooklyn got their big-time duo this off-season in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Durant may not be playing this year, but that doesn't take away from the excitement for the next few seasons. Then there is the Boston Celtics who will be led by a mini big three of their own in Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Gordon Hayward. A lot will depend on how Hayward rebounds from last season, and how much growth Tatum shows. Add on top of those three, the defending champs who were left in the dust by Kawhi Leonard. The team doesn't look like a real championship threat anymore, but they don't look like a walkover of a team either. Finally, you have the walkover of the division. The New York Knicks are still rebuilding, but still, have cause for excitement in their rookie RJ Barrett. Topic Rundown: 2:00 - Initial thoughts from last season 4:45 - New York Knicks 12:20 - Boston Celtics 16:15 - Philadelphia 76ers 21:00 - Toronto Raptors 25:00 - Playoffs and Award predictions

Next on the list of the Atlantic Files Division Preview series is the Central Division. Home to the MVP and the team with the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have lost a couple of guys from their 60-win roster, but they re-tooled and are looking to build off of one of their best seasons yet. The Indiana Pacers are the next best team in the division to challenge them, but it's not all that close. Detroit is now home to two of the biggest hopeful stories in the league. Joe Johnson and Derrick Rose are both looking to get their names back on the top of everyone's mind as they team up with Blake Griffin. Finally, the two rebuilding teams of the division are going to struggle to see who can tank the most and get the best pick of the draft. Cleveland and Chicago might not be home to the champs this year, but they will be home to promising young talent. Topic Rundown: 1:30 - Thoughts from the 2018-19 season 7:00 - Cleveland Cavaliers 12:50 - Chicago Bulls 18:30 - Detroit Pistons 27:30 - Indiana Pacers 34:00 - Milwaukee Bucks

The worst division of the NBA weathered a lot of strange happenings last season. The Southeast Division had one playoff team that squeaked in and wasn't much of a competitor come playoff time. Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, and the Orlando Magic added Markelle Fultz near the end of last season and ended up making the postseason. They'll look to get big seasons from Fultz and their own sophomore Mo Bamba. Washington is in an odd situation with John Wall still out and Bradley Beal looking to be another one-man wrecking crew. Which is the same thing that Terry Rozier will try to be, but at a lesser level. That brings us two teams who look promising and exciting. The Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. One of them is filled with some young talent that can fill up the scoreboard and the other one is stocked full of the old guard looking to make some noise. Mike and Alex break it all down in the full episode below! Other division preview episodes: Northwest | Pacific | Southwest Topic Rundown: 2:00 - Division review of 2018-19 season 5:30 - Orlando Magic 13:50 - Charlotte Hornets 18:30 - Miami Heat 23:15 - Washington Wizards 31:00 - Atlanta Hawks

The Pacific Division, other than maybe the Atlantic, has been the most talked-about division this off-season. So, Mike and Alex had to welcome Society brother, BJ Boyer of the Lakers Lair podcast, to the show to talk some west coast basketball. Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George are all entering Los Angeles with the same hopes for different teams. Davis comes to join LeBron James on the Lakers while Leonard and George are joining forces in the same building with the Clippers. Oh, did we mention that D'Angelo Russell is also entering the division to join the three-time champs Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson? Then, sprinkle on top a young and rising Sacramento Kings team with a Phoenix Suns team that contains some serious offensive talent. Yeah, this season is going to be fun in the Pacific. Hear the full episode below! Topic Rundown: 1:30 - Thoughts of the Pacific from last season 6:15 - Phoenix Suns 15:50 - Los Angeles Lakers 32:00 - BJ and Mike make a bet on the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets 36:30 - Sacramento Kings 44:00 - Los Angeles Clippers 54:30 - Golden State Warriors

The king of the Southwest Division, James Harden, welcomes Russell Westbrook on Houston's journey to win a ring this coming season. The rest of the Southwest, on the other hand, is either getting towards the wrong side of thirty, or they're rebuilding through the draft. Three teams finished with the same exact record last season, and the only other team to make the playoffs besides Houston was the San Antonio Spurs led by DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. Dallas is primed to take a step forward with another year of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis returning. Memphis and New Orleans, on the other hand, are both coming in with a brand new kind of youth movement. The top two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft are in the same division. Zion Williamson and Ja Morant look to carry each of their respective teams to a surprise playoff appearance. The Pelicans look like their primed to actually do it. Mike and Alex give their full thoughts on the division for this coming season in the full episode below! Topic Rundown: 1:30 - Thoughts on the Southwest Division in the 2018-19 season 7:45 - Houston Rockets 9:30 - Can James Harden and Russell Westbrook co-exist 18:15 - San Antonio Spurs 28:15 - Memphis Grizzlies 33:10 - New Orleans Pelicans 38:00 - Dallas Mavericks

Our Year in Review series is officially wrapped up, which means the division preview series is back! The first division on the docket is the Northwest Division which looks to be quite interesting this coming season despite losing some big names. As Mike Bash has said, the Denver Nuggets are primed to make a return as a top-two seed this season. Right behind them in their own division are the likes of the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers. Will the Minnesota Timberwolves finally hit their stride and make some noise, or will everyone continue to question Andrew Wiggins? Finally, the Oklahoma City Thunder have lost their dynamic duo, so to the bottom of the barrel they go. Topic rundown: 3:01 - Thoughts of how the division shook out last season 8:00 - Oklahoma City Thunder predictions 11:45 - Minnesota Timberwolves predictions 20:40 - Utah Jazz predictions 26:30 - Portland Trail Blazers predictions 33:55 - Denver Nuggets predictions

The New York Knicks are just one team in the long line of teams that have reverted to tanking as their strategy to become relevant again. A few seasons have come and gone as the Knicks toiled away in the bottom of the East. This off-season was supposed to be the start of something different, however, it was supposed to be the big change that they needed. Many big-name free agents were supposed to walk through those doors at Madison Square Garden this summer. Each one of them decided to pass. Julius Randle became the biggest name they could sign, but they did grab themselves a top-notch draft pick. RJ Barrett will try to take them to the promised land, but who will come along on the ride to help him? Topic Rundown: 2:00 - Initial thoughts of last season 5:45 - Visions of Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the future 7:50 - Randle a good signing 9:15 - Toughness culture 11:30 - Where does NYK stack in the East 16:20 - Giving up on French Frank? 19:55 - RJ Barrett's Role 25:30 - Double teams or not during open runs 30:45 - Predictions 35:15 - Joe Johnson making a comeback

Next up in the Year in Review series is none other than the Brooklyn Nets! One team that went from the deepest depths of the basement to looking like a championship contender with two superstars in just one off-season. The Nets were a lovable loser in the last couple seasons, but now it's time to shine. Last year, we saw the emergence of D'Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Caris LeVert. All three of them were talked about amongst the up-and-coming talent in the league, and they carried the Nets to a sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Russell, unfortunately, became a victim of the big signings in Brooklyn and is headed to Golden State now. Mike, Alex, and friend of the pod, Dennis Clausen of Rotoballer, talk about the season that was and look ahead to a big season coming in Brooklyn. Topic Rundown: 1:54 - Initial thoughts of last season 6:20 - Did you think these big off-season moves would happen? 9:12 - Kyrie Irving over Russell, no debate 12:00 - DLo now mature? 16:00 - Should Kevin Durant come back this season? 20:00 - Nets the most talented in Atlantic? 21:30 - Sixers overrated, no competition for Nets 24:10 - Nets Predictions, wins over/under

Last season, the Boston Celtics took third in the Atlantic Division during a season in which they were expected to do much bigger things. This week's year in review is none other than the boys up in Beantown. Kyrie Irving said at one point that he was going to stay in Boston, Gordon Hayward showed flashes of his old self pre-injury, and the young guns continued to grow. This was shaping up to be a great season. Then all of Kyrie's free agency drama hit, Hayward wasn't showing that many flashes and the young guns couldn't carry the team the whole way. This left the Celtics losing in the second round of the NBA Playoffs against a strong Milwaukee Bucks team. Ending their season there is quite the opposite of what everyone was expecting. So, Alex and Mike take a look at the season that was and hand out grades and look ahead to a Kyrie and Horford-less team.

The Philadelphia 76ers are next in line for the annual 'Year in Review' series as they came in at second place in the Atlantic Division. Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris are running it back while Jimmy Butler took his talents to South Beach. Philly was just a couple bounces away from forcing overtime against the eventual NBA Champions last season. Some called this season a disappointment, some called it just a learning experience that will catapult them forward into the next season. Either way, the Sixers have restored the excitement in Philly and will be coming into the next season with a revamped roster. So let's take a look back so that we can begin to look forward.