The Atlantic Files

NBA Champions. A title that the Toronto Raptors are wearing with pride even if their Finals MVP has now moved across the continent. That being said, one can't deny that this season was an overall success for the Canadian franchise. They took down the dynasty from the Bay and were rewarded for making a bold move in shipping off DeMar DeRozan last off-season. What does the road ahead look like after that move though? How does this team build on what they are left with? The big task at hand is figuring out whether they can re-tool or if they need to rebuild. Mike and Alex give their thoughts on the season that was and peek ahead to what might be for the Raptors. Topic Rundown: 1:51 - Raptors season an overall success 6:20 - What happens with the current roster 8:00 - Denying the trade with Oklahoma City 14:15 - Mysteries behind their plan moving forward 15:45 - Pascal Siakam's time to shine 19:50 - Chris Boucher breakout season 22:45 - Could Toronto be the Clippers of the East 27:00 - Free Agency chances

In the middle of the night, Kawhi Leonard was listening to some classic Drake as he decided he'll forego a repeat with the Toronto Raptors and join the Los Angeles Clippers. Once Marvin's Room came on, he called up Paul George and told him to leave Russell Westbrook behind and join him. Then, the NBA landscape was never the same. Okay, that might not have been exactly how it all happened, but we're just going to roll with it. The Los Angeles Clippers aren't the only ones to form a huge duo though. The Brooklyn Nets have their own duo now in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Boston has a duo in Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum, the Lakers have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and of course we still have a handful of teams that retained their big-time duos. Parity in the NBA has been restored in a huge way. The League is going to be even more fun than it already was, which is hard to imagine. So, it's time to throw around some takes, predict which free agents won't make much of a difference, and which smaller names will become the real impact players. Listen to the full episode below to hear Alex and Mike's thoughts on everything NBA free agency!

The NBA Draft has come and gone. Next on the summer list is NBA Free Agency! This one has been one of the most anticipated in quite a while as everyone waits to see if the entire landscape of the league is shifted to some new type of super team! This week, Senior Writer at Basketball Society and Heavy.com, and host of the ScoopB Radio Podcast, Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, joins us on the show. He drops knowledge and gives us some inside scoops on the impending free agents and where they might go. Check out the topic list below and the full episode as well! Topic Rundown: 2:10 - Free Agents linked to Los Angeles Clippers 5:10 - 76ers trying to replace Landry Shamet/His importance to LAC 7:00 - Rumors around D'Angelo Russell to Phoenix and the draft day trade 11:20 - Who will be coming to the Brooklyn Nets 14:30 - Tobias Harris likes playing in Philly 16:55 - Kyrie and KD’s great relationship 19:00 - Sixers should be looking at Kemba? 24:30 - If Kemba teams up with stars, his brand gets bigger 26:00 - Dallas a dark-horse in free agency 28:10 - Horford a Spurs or Jazz type of player? 33:00 - Is KD down to a two-team decision? 35:00 - Kyrie has no interest in the Knicks 36:45 - Jabari Parker’s free agency options 39:55 - Julius Randle smart for opting out 41:30 - Is Zion going to be the best from this draft? 43:30 - Could Harrison Barnes be a FA steal?

The 2019 NBA Draft is finally upon us! Dreams will come true, motivation and hunger will grow, and the table for free agency will be set. Oh, plus the 2019 NBA Champions were crowned since the last time Alex and Mike jumped on the mics. The excitement is brewing almost as if the playoffs are starting again because a big offseason is ahead. First of all, congratulations to Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Fred Van Vleet and the Toronto Raptors on a fantastic season. The guys here on the Atlantic Files both had them winning it all for a long time, but many others did not. Second of all, it's time to preview the draft. Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and RJ Barrett are all looking set to go top three, but where will everyone else land? Could the New Orleans Pelicans now trade the fourth pick that they received from the Los Angeles Lakers to receive more picks? Who will be the diamond in the rough towards the bottom of the first round or second round? Listen to the full episode below to find out what Mike and Alex think! No topic rundown this week, just a beginning congratulations to the Raptors and then the rest is all NBA Draft and offseason, enjoy!

Yes, we know that the NBA Finals are currently taking place, but all of the rumors for free agency and the NBA Draft are heating up and the Brooklyn Nets are at the center of it all! Allen Crabbe has finally been shipped out of Brooklyn and it frees up tons of money as well as brings in a solid talent in Taurean Prince. As you can probably guess, Mike is extra hype for this trade and Alex has to try and keep the expectations something remotely close to realistic. There still is a little bit of Finals talk about how the Toronto Raptors are dominating this series and Kevin Durant's next game may be played in a different uniform. Oh, also Klay Thompson might just want to go to Philadelphia and leave all of this in the rearview mirror after this Finals. Topic rundown: 1:15 - Thoughts about the NBA Finals 6:30 - Toronto Raptors role players better than Golden State's 8:05 - Warriors investor banned 9:55 - Nick Nurse proving his worth 11:30 - Finals predictions changing now? 14:45 - Taurean Prince to Brooklyn 18:30 - Brooklyn going to be better than Philly next year? 20:30 - What would a Sixers team look like with Klay 24:40 - Rutgers vs Pitt 29:00 - Kawhi Leonard makes Clippers a real contender 31:00 - Who's better, Clippers or Nets?

The NBA Finals are finally here and Pascal Siakam is ready to take on the Golden State Warriors! Well, so are Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors, but the real star is Siakam, right? One person on the podcast this week seems to think so at least. Join Mike, Alex, and the Southeast Division Correspondent, Brad Haider, as they preview the NBA Finals matchup between the Raptors and Warriors, touch on free agency, and give their predictions to who will take home the trophy this year. Topic Rundown: 1:35 - Preview of the Finals and initial thoughts 5:30 - Can Kawhi keep up his high level of play? 7:45 - Would Toronto be invited to the White House if they win? 9:20 - Marc Gasol needs to step up 12:00 - Toronto needs to make Golden State adjust 15:45 - Series predictions 17:00 - DeMarcus Cousins may come back, does it help or hurt? 19:45 - Free agency talk, could the Brooklyn Nets trade for Anthony Davis? 21:15 - What would a Brooklyn trade for AD look like? 23:30 - Where will Kevin Durant end up? 26:45 - Free agents buying homes in different cities 29:00 - Chris Paul getting shipped out of Houston? 31:15 - Who wins Finals MVP?

The NBA Draft Lottery has finally taken place to determine the winner of the Zion Williamson sweepstakes! As that went on, however, the NBA Playoffs are still in full swing as we find out who will be competing in the NBA Finals. Both series started off with some very convincing wins, but they seem to be going in different directions as the series play on. The bottom of the barrel teams not only get to watch the playoffs, but they all tuned in to see who receives which picks. In shocking fashion, the New York Knicks move down to the third pick and the New Orleans Pelicans take the prize of the number one overall selection. Check out the full episode below as Mike and Alex talk about the Lottery, the playoffs, and more! Topic Rundown: 1:15 - Warriors vs Blazers 8:00 - Splash Brothers vs Splash Mountain 10:10 - What kind of matchups work for Bucks against Warriors 16:15 - Backcourt defense of Bucks 20:30 - Draft lottery takeaways 21:45 - Could Zion fall to #3? 25:00 - Ben Simmons vs Zion Williamson 28:30 - Should the Knicks trade the #3 pick? 33:50 - Early NCAA favorites to win the National Championship 38:30 - Lakers coaching carousel

Kawhi Leonard. Wow. We're not sure there's really much else to say other than just, wow... That will be a shot that gets replayed for many, many years throughout NBA History. Immediate heartbreak for the Philadelphia 76ers will turn into motivation and an important off-season is ahead. Speaking of off-season though, LeBron James and the Denver Nuggets could possibly be a match?? The Brooklyn Nets are favored to land Kyrie Irving?? Well, Mike and Alex discuss these topics and more in the full episode below! Topic Rundown: 1:15 - Toronto vs Philadelphia Game 7 Preview 8:05 - Denver vs Portland Game 7 Preview 13:00 - LeBron getting traded to Denver 21:00 - Clippers potential #1 seed next season 23:45 - Kyrie favored to land in Brooklyn 28:00 - Tobias Harris not as good as advertised 29:50 - Lakers coaching search 31:00 - LeBron the coach? 33:00 - Top scorers in the playoffs update 34:00 - Steph Curry and Chris Paul beef 37:00 - Houston needs to replace Chris Paul 40:45 - Reaction to Kawhi Leonard's game winner

Joel Embiid has been a huge part of the Philadelphia 76ers' success over the past couple of seasons. Find out if Mike or Alex is the one that thinks he will never win a ring in his NBA career! Other than that, the guys go over the second round of the NBA Playoffs, D'Angelo Russell getting busted for weed, and whether or not coleslaw is actually good. Sixers fans, if you're reading this, you may or may not particularly enjoy what was said in this episode both about Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. We'd love to hear your thoughts on Twitter though! Oh, and of course Mike is back with his outrageous Brooklyn Nets and Denver Nuggets takes. Topic Rundown: 1:00 - Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks series 6:30 - Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors 10:05 - Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers 14:20 - Primanti Bros and the Coleslaw debate 16:15 - Nuggets Championship chances slipping 19:15 - D'Angelo Russell's weed bust 21:50 - Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors 26:00 - Who will score the most throughout the playoffs? 29:15 - Joel Embiid will never win a ring? 31:00 - Sixers better with Ben Simmons off ball

Kawhi Leonard is a top three player in the NBA and it's time for everyone who has doubted that statement to stop doubting. This week on the Atlantic Files, Alex and Mike discuss Kawhi's greatness, the other second-round matchups and what Dwyane Wade might do in retirement. After Game One of the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors series, Kawhi proved his dominance yet again with his sidekick Pascal Siakam. The Sixers looked helpless while Kawhi looked like Thanos. Both Mike and Alex agree that this could be some very quick work by Toronto in this series. Around the league, the Denver Nuggets ended up surviving the upset scare from the San Antonio Spurs, but now they face an even tougher test in the Portland Trail Blazers. The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets matchup should just be the NBA Finals. Plus, the Boston Celtics give Milwaukee more than they can handle! Finally, what will Dwyane Wade do in retirement? Alex thinks he might become the next DJ Khaled and make Miami his empire!

When the Philadelphia 76ers drew a first-round match-up against the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlantic Files was bound to never be the same. Some will cheer, some will cry, but no one will come out of this the same person they were before! Okay, that's probably just a little bit of an exaggeration, but there is definitely a lot of pride on the line. Also, friend of the show, Dennis Clausen of RotoBaller, joins the show again! If you tuned in to the last episode where Mike and Alex previewed the NBA Playoffs, you also would have heard them talk about a bet that was brewing. Obviously, with Mike being the Brooklyn supporter and Alex being the Philly supporter, they had to put some pride on the line for their teams. In this episode, the details of the bet come to light! After a much-needed explosion in Game Two, the 76ers tied the series up at one game apiece as they head to Brooklyn. The guys all agree that Brett Brown is on the hot seat, so the adjustments he makes are going to continually be under a microscope. Looking at the other teams in the Atlantic, the Boston Celtics grabbed a somewhat "easy" win in Game One. The Toronto Raptors, however, dropped their first game to the Orlando Magic and had to get back on track in Game Two.

The most wonderful time of the year is back again! No, we're not talking about the holidays, we're talking about the NBA Playoffs! Match-ups are finally set with the final games taking place on Wednesday, so it's good old preview time. First things first, Mike and Alex have a bone to pick in the first round. The Philadelphia 76ers drew a first round match-up with none other than the Brooklyn Nets. There will be a bet placed on this series, so stay tuned for next episode when the guys reveal what they put down for their team. Mike is sticking to his guns with his preseason prediction. So the Western Conference is going to be pretty chalky as the college fans would say. One team who is easily a lock for the Conference Finals for both guys is, of course, the Golden State Warriors. No one should be betting against Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and company in that respect. The Eastern Conference is where things get a little hairier. Will the Toronto Raptors be the East representative like the guys have been talking about all season, or will the top dog Milwaukee Bucks come through?

March has finally turned to April which means that March Madness is wrapping up and the NCAA Final Four is ready to begin. Auburn, Virginia, Michigan State, and Texas Tech all look to become the next National Champion. Mike still has a team alive in his bracket while Alex has not a single one left, so they decided to give a preview this week! Virginia hung on by the skin of their teeth to beat a hot Purdue squad led by an outstanding effort from Carsen Edwards. Now they have to face another red hot team in Auburn. Does Virginia have some magic left or do the guys think they'll get taken out? Then comes the game that Mike will be watching with a very close eye. The only team left in his bracket, Michigan State, will look to dispatch Texas Tech on their way to the Finals. Does Sparty have it in them to continue this run?

The NBA Playoffs are just a couple weeks away. Most of the Eastern Conference teams have already clinched playoff spots, except for the six, seven, and eight seed. How do the current playoff teams' splits from the regular season translate into the playoffs though? This week on The Atlantic Files, we go back to the roots that brought us to this point. While Mike is swamped in tax season, Alex takes over and leads the show. First things first, an update on March Madness was needed. During the last episode, Mike, Alex, and Pat all gave a lot of insight and predictions on the tournament. So, Alex gave an update on what his Sweet Sixteen is looking like and the odds that his Final Four stays intact. Then, it's time to analyze the Atlantic Divison playoff teams. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers both have the same issue. They really aren't that great when they play away from home. Both of their records are significantly worse than their home records and the issue is that they may only have home-court advantage in just the first round. The Toronto Raptors, on the other hand, are able to win no matter where they play. The only Eastern Conference team they had an issue with was Milwaukee, but that was in part due to the fact that Kawhi Leonard missed a couple of those games. Last but not least, there is the wildcard Brooklyn Nets. They have very streaky times where they look to be a real playoff threat, and then they have supreme stinkers. Which one is going to show up come playoff time if they secure their spot in the playoffs?Listen to the full episode above!

March Madness is back baby! It's that wonderful time of the year where everyone fills out a bracket, whether you know anything about sports or not, and pray that these schools you never heard of win each game. So, to get into the spirit, Mike and Alex welcome fellow Basketball Society member Pat McMahon to give their predictions on the National Tournament. Join the guys as they go through, region by region, to give their predictions about potential upsets, favorites, and who they have advancing through each round. Mike has a fan favorite team not even making the Final Four while Alex only has ONE team in the Final Four that boasts a number one seed. On the other hand, Pat got a little chalky as he sees the field is very top heavy.