The Basketball Society

Can we just take a moment to realize that the East has four of the most explosive and exciting players left in the post-season right now? The NBA Eastern Conference playoffs have been a roller coaster ride of sweeps, good games, offensive showcases, and even some defensive battles. That’s no different when it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets so far. Before we get to the playoff updates, we have to take note that both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons ended up getting second place in the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards respectively. One due to missed games the other due advanced statistics. Philly just gained an even bigger chip on their shoulder if it wasn’t enough to already be considered an Eastern underdog as a first seed. Then we get to the playoffs and the Brooklyn Nets have been dominating throughout both of their series so far. This isn’t far from what everyone expected, but still pretty impressive nonetheless. Even though this podcast was recorded before the game started, we also have to point out that it was crazy that Game Three of this series ended at only 86-83. What is this, the ‘90s?! Moving on to Philly. Game Two was more of what the Sixers have looked like all season. They controlled the tempo and the game right from the tip-off and Atlanta just could not fully catch up and take a lead. Then, all of a sudden, BAM, Shake Milton happens! His resurgence couldn’t have come at a better time and couldn’t be a better definition of ‘stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.’ We’re here for all the excitement and all the drama as the Nets try to win Game Four and the Sixers go to Atlanta and try to take back their home court advantage! Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:10 Milwaukee vs Brooklyn Series 1:45 Nets stats with Kevin Durant On/Off court 4:45 Nets stats with Kyrie Irving On/Off court 6:40 Nets stats with James Harden on/off court 10:50 Ben Simmons getting 2nd in DPoY to Rudy Gobert 16:05 Ben Simmons defensive Stats against Trae Young 19:00 Joel Embiid scoring stats and Sixers series vs Hawks

We now move on to the second round of the NBA Playoffs! Joel Embiid has injury concerns, yet again, and the Brooklyn Nets have to take on the Milwaukee Bucks.  The Philadelphia 76ers played a great series against the Washington Wizards, but they move on from the series wounded and taking a huge hit. Joel Embiid has a small lateral tear in his meniscus and it could mean trouble for him and the team.  Trae Young kept on playing his new villain role and took over New York City. He gashed the New York Knicks and took the Hawks to a 4-1 series win that left the Knicks wondering what happened.  Finally, the Nets took out the battered and bruised Boston Celtics in five games. Their offense was high-powered, but the defense left a lot to be desired. Now, they have to take on the Milwaukee Bucks, who not only scored a ton on the Miami Heat but also shut them down defensively on top of it.  In the East, this second round is going to provide a lot of drama and two very good series depending on player health. Let's all hope they both go seven so we get even more excitement! Listen to the full episode below! Timestamps: 2:10 - Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets series 3:45 - Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets series preview 9:30 - Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks series 16:05 - Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards series 17:15 - Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks series preview

The most wonderful time of the year is really here and it's been great so far. NBA Playoffs heading into the great summer weather are something that just can uplift any basketball fan. Even ones that would be watching to see if George Hill is an x-factor. In this week's episode of the Atlantic Files, we dive into the first round of the playoffs as four Atlantic teams are all currently in the midst of some battles and even some easy series. The Philadelphia 76ers have been breezing through the Washington Wizards so far. Bradley Beal sure has been cooking, but the rest of the team, even Russell Westbrook, has not quite gotten up to his level just yet.  Brooklyn and Boston are going through a series that really looks like an easy sweep, especially if Jayson Tatum isn't 100% healthy for the rest of this. Kevin Durant is in playoff mode right now and has just been ridiculously efficient! Finally, we have the New York Knicks in a tough battle against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. After dropping a game at home, the Knicks are going to have to dig deep and get at least one win in Atlanta now to keep the home-court advantage.  This week, we also introduce a new segment! We call this one Rant of the Week as we talk about the crazy fans that all made the news for some disgusting and disrespectful acts this week. Timestamps: 2:05 - Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics Series 9:35 - Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards series and George Hill being an x-factor 17:10 - New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks series 25:20 - Rant of the Week: Dumb Fans at NBA Games

The NBA Playoffs are here, everyone can rejoice! It does mark the end of the season, which is saddening, but at least the crazy schedule is done. Next season will bring a more normal type of season and hopefully fewer injuries as well. A lot of people are lamenting the play-in tournament, but we love it! These extra games make the regular season more important to those playoff teams and it even makes it more exciting to the ones who may have slipped due to whatever reasons. The fact that they introduced it during one of the tightest packed schedules is the main issue, but with a regular type of schedule, this would work beautifully. Either way, four Atlantic teams have moved on to the postseason, but two of them have to face off during the first round. The Boston Celtics vs the Brooklyn Nets should be somewhat interesting of a series, but especially with Jaylen Brown out we all know the outcome of this one. Then, the Sixers and Knicks could be on a crash course if they both win their own first-round matchups.

You read that headline correctly, don\'t act like you haven\'t heard about it either! The New York Knicks are back, baby! Oh, they\'re here to stay too!\n\nCurrently, the Knicks are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and they even are third in the Atlantic Division only behind the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. Before this season began, we did not think the Knicks would be anywhere close to where they are right now. \n\nThe defense is brand new and very good. Coach Thibodeau has the entire culture and energy flipped upside down compared to last season. Guys are standing up and off the bench throughout the whole game cheering their teammates on at all times. Everyone has a tremendous amount of respect for each other and the coaching staff. \n\nOn top of that, you have Julius Randle playing like the Most Improved Player of the Year and Immanuel Quickley playing like the Rookie of the Year if only he got some more minutes. At this point of the season, if you don\'t have either of these guys on your radar or ladders for the awards, you\'re sadly mistaken.\n\nPLUS, RJ Barrett is really playing like a future All-Star and maybe even an All-NBA level. \n\nThrow all of that together and you have a recipe for a very dangerous team to face in the playoffs. We would not be surprised at all if they won a first-round matchup and even pushed their second-round opponent to the brink of elimination. This is a serious worst-to-first type of story, and the state of the NBA is just better when the Knicks are better.

March Madness is in full swing, the second half of the NBA season is here, and the weather is getting warmer for those in the northern hemisphere! Always the best time of the year and we\'re here for all of the basketball fun. \n\nThis week we need to catch up with some of the big news and the standings in the Atlantic. It has been a while and a lot of moving, so we\'re glad we get to catch up with everyone again!\n\nSomething very mediocre is brewing in Boston right now. The Boston Celtics are nowhere near as big of a championship threat as they were originally predicted to be. Yes, the season has been crazy with covid and all sorts of schedule changes, but the roster makeup is starting to show holes. \n\nSo this begs the question, what does Boston need to really be a true contender this year? Well, we bring THREE main bullet points that the Celtics are going to have to address if they truly want to win a ring during this crazy season.\n\nThen, it\'s time to talk about the Toronto Raptors. This season seems more of a lost cause when it comes to winning a championship. They definitely can make the playoffs, but they also could get some valuable assets for some of the pieces they have that won\'t necessarily be there long term. \n\nKyle Lowry, Norman Powell, and Chris Boucher are all names that could be heard on the trade block. Maybe they need to be shopped a little more aggressively and maybe they should be thinking for next season instead of trying to salvage a first or second-round exit this season.\n\nAll of this and more on the latest episode below!\n\nTimestamps:\n\n4:50 - Three things the Boston Celtics need to be championship contenders\n\n21:10 - What pieces should the Toronto Raptors trade away?

Anyone who's been watching basketball for the last decade has heard the name Xavier Silas. Whether it's college basketball, NBA, professionally overseas, the Big 3, or even The Basketball Tournament, Xavier Silas' name has come up. If you haven't heard the name, then you haven't been paying attention. Silas had a long playing career that took him to many places all over the world. Even played in the G League where he got the chance to play for Team USA too. Now that he's only making playing appearances in The Basketball Tournament over the summer, he's shifted his attention to coaching and running AAU or high school programs.  An AAU program is where it all started. After developing the program based out of Colorado, he then went through a coaching program with the NBA and landed a job as an assistant coach for the Delaware Blue Coats of the G League.  Last season, the Blue Coats had one of the best defenses in the league while still showcasing a high-powered offense. Silas had a big hand in this as he was helping with both sides of the ball at different parts of the season. Fast forward to this season that just started in the Disney bubble, and the Blue Coats are playing at one of the fastest paces in the G League while also placing in the top five in assist percentage, assists, points scored, and turnovers on both sides of the ball.  They're now the only undefeated team left after the G League Ignite team fell on Wednesday night.  Xavier Silas credits a lot of people for the inspiration to coach and the guidance to get him where he is. Everyone from people he's played with, against, for, and coached with. Now, he continues to make his own stepping stones towards a head coaching gig. The G League coaching job helps with the X's and O's, but the creation of the Colorado Prep school gives him all the surrounding experience that a college coach would experience. Hear about all of this and more in the latest episode below! Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro and Atlantic Division standings update 3:25 - Interview with Xavier Silas

The Atlantic Division has had a couple of notable situations take place in just the last week. Derrick Rose has been traded to the New York Knicks and Ben Simmons said he's the best defender in the NBA. Neither of these things really has changed the landscape of the league nor the Atlantic Division itself. Some people might be enthralled with Rose going to New York, but in reality, it isn't moving the needle in either way. Derrick Rose has one of the most inspiring stories in NBA history and he has worked incredibly hard to still be a meaningful contributor on a team. While his experience and skill set will be useful in New York, it's not going to push them any further than they were already projected. Then, we have Ben Simmons catching a lot of flack for what he said in a post-game presser. Confidence is key in any sport, especially on the defensive side of the ball in the NBA. His defense has been noted by a lot of people across the league, but fans keep letting his jump shot overshadow anything else he does. Finally, we have gotten a second round of NBA All-Star voting returns. The top vote-getters are not surprising at all. We've seen them there before and they probably will continue to be the top voted players for years to come. The fringe players are the ones that are surprising though. Alex Caruso, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook getting the same or more votes as someone like Fred VanVleet? Make it make sense! All of that and more on the latest episode below! Timestamps: 2:00 - Derrick Rose traded to the New York Knicks 7:20 - Ben Simmons says he's the best defender in the NBA 11:30 - 2021 NBA All-Star voting returns

By now, we're sure that everyone has seen the news about Caris LeVert's scary cancer situation. This trade that sent LeVert to Indiana could very well have saved his life!  Joining us this week to talk about everything cancer related is Deanna Bianchini. She works as a Physician Assistant in Oncology. For those who don't know, oncology is the study of cancer. She came to give her expertise on the whole situation and how much of a blessing in disguise this trade truly could be. Cancer is always a serious conversation. There are many cancer awareness campaigns and kidney cancer is not one of those that people often hear about. We had a great conversation with Ms. Bianchini, and everyone can learn a lot about kidney cancer and the complications that come with it! Before we get to that conversation, we had to give an update on the state of the Atlantic Division. This is the Atlantic Files after all.  The Philadelphia 76ers are still handling business, while a couple of other teams are sinking. The race for the playoffs in the East is going to be very interesting and the race for the top four seeds between Philly, Brooklyn, Indiana, and Milwaukee.  All of that and more in the latest episode below! Timestamps: 1:00 - State of the Atlantic Division 6:10 - Conversation with Deanna Bianchini, PA-C on Caris LeVert's cancer scare

Your eyes are not deceiving you. The New York Knicks are still at .500 right now and they are actually in the playoff race for the Eastern Conference. On top of that, they are the number one ranked defense in the entire league!  We have to tip our caps to Coach Tom Thibodeau on getting this Knicks team to where they are so far. We also have to give props to both RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. Two guys who have been doing the brunt of the work to get them here in the first place.  RJ Barrett had some doubts going into this season. His shooting percentages were super low and the Knicks were hoping he was going to be their big superstar one day. Over the last five games of this season, he has looked like he would deliver on that hope, however, the rest of his career so far might say otherwise. Then, in Toronto(or Tampa Bay), we have an interesting story brewing with the Raptors. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet aren't exactly delivering everything they need to make the Raptors a playoff contender. They've been at the bottom of the East this whole time and don't look like they'll climb out very far if their play continues this way. All of that and more on the latest episode below! Timestamps: 1:10 - New York Knicks and Will RJ Barrett be an All-Star 9:42 - Are Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet actually Toronto's future?

What just happened in the NBA?! The whole landscape just shifted with a mega tilt towards the Eastern Conference. No, we're not exaggerating and if you think it is an exaggeration, then you might want to clean those glasses. James Harden is now on the Brooklyn Nets joining the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving! Who is going to be able to beat them in the Atlantic Division or even in the entire Eastern Conference? There is a very short list if there are any.  Also, what kind of ceiling do the Nets now have for this year and years to come after this deal? Is it only a one-year window or could it be more than that? Then, one of the biggest questions is what exactly is going on with Kyrie Irving, and will he be able to gel with the team as well?  Around the division, things are going quite well record-wise for the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. They're sitting at first and second in the East and it doesn't look like either one is going to slow up any time soon given they don't get covid after their recent issues. Joel Embiid still looks great and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still a very dynamic duo. Should the Sixers make a big trade after Harden didn't go to Philly? How about either Bradley Beal or Zach LaVine? Finally, we have the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors bringing up the rear. One team is sinking and the other is rising. I'll give you a guess as to who is who. All of that and more on the latest episode below! Timestamps: 2:10 - James Harden traded to Brooklyn Nets (W/ Martin Soaries and Felix John-Baptiste) 33:25 - Philadelphia 76ers struggles and covid protocols 37:35 - Bradley Beal vs Zach LaVine, who should the Sixers trade for? 46:00 - Boston Celtics postponed games 47:15 - Toronto Raptors stepping their game up 49:15 - New York Knicks regressing to the mean

So here we are, finally into 2021 and about nine games into the NBA season. Thus far, this season is just as weird as the last year and or so has been. What do we mean, you might ask, well the New York Knicks actually have a winning record! You did read that last sentence correctly. The Knicks are actually playing winning basketball and we're not sure if the world is really prepared for this. Although, we could just see them crumble and then world order would then be restored. Moving to another tri-state team, the Philadelphia 76ers are at the top of the standings. Joel Embiid looks primed to win an MVP while some of the new faces on the team have stepped up and given the team a breath of fresh air. Let's not forget about Doc Rivers and the fact he could grab a Coach of the Year award as well! Then, we have the Brooklyn Nets. One of the most prolific offenses in the league while having one of the most garbage defenses to go along with it! One will have to outweigh the other in the end, but we'll have to see which wins out. In terms of the Boston Celtics, we have a real discussion brewing between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Which one would you want to build with? Finally, there are the surprisingly bad Toronto Raptors. Well, we're not sure what else to say other than the fact that they're pretty bad. Hear about all of our thoughts on these topics in the full episode below! Timestamps: 1:50 - Sixers hot start and some worries 9:30 - Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic for MVP 11:02 - Brooklyn Nets defense is garbage 14:35 - Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum vs Jaylen Brown vs Brandon Ingram 24:10 - New York Knicks are actually winning games

On this week's episode of The Atlantic Files, we go over the first round of games, Shake Milton's great first game as sixth man, the Nets dominant performance, and Jayson Tatum's heroics.

The NBA season is officially less than one week away! After we previewed the Western Conference, it's now time to preview the Eastern Conference ahead of the 2020-21 season!  A lot of changes and power shifts have fallen onto the Eastern Conference landscape this time around. The good teams got better and a few of the bad teams made some huge moves that could vault them in front of a lot of people. For the Southeast division, the Miami Heat don't really seem to have a true challenger to their division champ status. Things are brewing down in Atlanta as the Hawks have made a big-time splash in free agency. The rest of the division, however, doesn't really seem all that exciting. Sure there are some nice talents here and there, but nothing that screams true contender. Then, we have the Central division where the rich got richer. The Milwaukee Bucks got themselves a true playoff point guard in Jrue Holiday and even re-equipped their bench. That's not to mention the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo also signed the super max to stay in Milwaukee for five more years!  Much like the Southeast, the Central division doesn't have many other exciting teams outside of the Bucks. The Indiana Pacers are the defacto second-place team, but no one is really concerned with them come playoff time. Finally, we have the Atlantic division. This will be the most fun of maybe all the divisions across the league. The Toronto Raptors are the defending division champs, but the Celtics are knocking on their door along with the Sixers and Nets who both got better this offseason. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are both back and ready to cause chaos in the East.  All of that and predictions for each division and the East playoffs in the full episode below! Timestamps: 1:10 - Southeast Division preview 21:15 - Central Division preview 36:00 - Atlantic Division preview

The NBA season is right around the corner again! In Atlantic Files tradition, that means it's time for some conference previews! Today, we're taking a look at the Western Conference preview. In the Northwest Division, we watched the Denver Nuggets quite comfortably take the top spot. There's no real surprise there, it was something a lot of us expected. The division might look a lot different this season though with the changes to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers. Minnesota made some great draft picks, but we're not entirely confident that will help them all that much in this season. Going to the Pacific Division, there's a lot to be excited about. This division will probably be one of the biggest battles in the league. As champions, the Los Angeles Lakers will defend their crown against the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers(again), a vengeful Golden State Warriors, and a new-look Phoenix Suns. Each game is going to be hard to win in the division, and we're here for it! Finally, there's the Southwest Division which is in a sort of limbo. If James Harden stays with the Houston Rockets, then the division will get interesting. Since it looks like he will be gone, however, the division gets quite boring in terms of championship contenders.  All of that plus breakdowns for each team in the latest episode below! Timestamps: 1:50 - Northwest Division 17:15 - Pacific Division 28:45 - Southwest Division

The NBA off-season has been on fire lately and we're all loving it! NBA free agency is in full swing as the Draft has already passed. Some rookies that went undrafted have now been picked up and one of the bigger named free agents denied a sign-and-trade to the Milwaukee Bucks. Madness! First things first, we must talk about each Atlantic team's draft grades and which of the five teams did the best compared to the others. Not sure if anyone else felt the same way, but the Brooklyn Nets didn't really have to care about the draft all that much. The other four teams, however, all had to take it seriously as they either built for the future or had to address needs for less money. To everyone who happens to be a New York Knicks fan, don't worry, there were more good things to say about the Knicks than bad! Then, of course, we had to touch on the madness of free agency and all these signings, failed trades, and multiple team trades going on. The Bogdan Bogdanovic sign-and-trade to Milwaukee will be a head-scratcher for years to come. Instead, he takes his talents to Atlanta while the Los Angeles Lakers somehow attain the Sixth Man of the Year and the runner-up to the same award.  Oh, plus the Charlotte Hornets are out here giving crazy contracts again! Which one of the Atlantic teams won free agency so far though? This and much more in the latest episode below! Timestamps: 1:15 - NBA Draft reactions and grades 2:15 - Brooklyn Nets draft 4:35 - Boston Celtics draft 8:05 - Toronto Raptors draft 10:50 - Philadelphia 76ers draft 14:50 - New York Knicks draft 18:15 - NBA free agency reactions

The NBA off-season is in full swing and everyone is going crazy with the teams that they are currently on. Russell Westbrook and PJ Tucker are both frustrated in Houston, Jrue Holiday is getting shopped around, Chris Paul is weighing his options, and Victor Oladipo is straight-up asking teams if he can play with them. Ever since Daryl Morey left Houston, the team has seen nothing but turmoil. Westbrook voiced his worries about the Rockets' future and now he wants out. On top of that, PJ Tucker was 'irate' about his contract all season and now he wants to either get paid or go somewhere else.  In other news, Jrue Holiday is still getting shopped around for the best deal that New Orleans can get. He's a guy that could fit into any team's system, so it's not surprising that a lot of teams are interested.  Chris Paul is also looking at other teams he might be interested in playing with. This is a veteran that could really elevate a championship contender and also help along with a younger team. He showed in Oklahoma City that he can really gel a younger team and make them overachieve.  Finally, we have Victor Oladipo allegedly going up to other teams, IN FRONT OF HIS TEAMMATES, and asking them if he can play with their team. The audacity of this man! All of that and more on the latest episode below! Timestamps: 1:30 - Fred Van Vleet wants his money 6:40 - Serge Ibaka leaving Toronto 7:40 - New York Knicks rumored to sign everyone again 9:15 - Jrue Holiday coming to the Atlantic? 14:50 - Where will Chris Paul land? 22:10 - PJ Tucker and Russell Westbrook upset with Houston 27:50 - Victor Oladipo with the audacity

While most of the NBA was quiet and peacefully enjoying their off-season, the Philadelphia 76ers made another personnel signing and brought in the services of Daryl Morey. This comes just about two weeks after the new of Morey stepping down. So could that mean that James Harden will follow him? If you've listened to the Atlantic Files before, then you've heard that the Sixers have needed to make front office changes for a long time now. They have their coach in Doc Rivers, they made some lesser-known changes with Peter Dinwiddie, and now they have a new President of Basketball Operations. James Harden, of course, was the next name to start popping up after this news broke. Stephen A. Smith, amongst others, have kicked around the idea of the Sixers trading for Harden and trying to compete for a ring with a duo of either Harden and Ben Simmons or Harden and Joel Embiid. This brings us to the question of which young start should they keep? Let's say Morey does influence Elton Brand and the Sixers to move on from one, should it be Simmons or Embiid? Finally, the NBA proposed a start date for the new season. The NBPA wasn't exactly on board with the decision though. A lot of star players and teams who were in the bubble believed that it was too early and would sit out a month if that were to happen. Timestamps: 1:05 - Daryl Morey to Philly 10:00 - Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons? 17:05 - James Harden coming to Philly too? 24:30 - Start date to new season proposed

The NBA off-season is here and the draft and free agency are about to come into full swing. More coaching positions have been filled as well. So it's time to predict some landings and talk about who might have the biggest impact. A handful of teams have filled their vacant coaching positions, most of them being playoff teams. So who's going to make the biggest impact for their new team? Tyronn Lue is a strong candidate with the Clippers, but so are Doc Rivers and Billy Donovan for the Sixers and Bulls respectively.  Then comes free agency with some big name guys all looking for contracts. Some of them, like Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram, seem to already know where they will land but are just waiting for a big contract. Others, like Fred VanVleet, could get some interest from tons of teams around the league as well as the Raptors. Christian Wood and Jerami Grant represent the young group of guys that could be in for a nice payday. So where will these guys land?  That and more on the latest episode below! Timestamps: 1:00 - New coaching hires and ranking of the hires 14:30 - Top Free Agents and where they might land

Lakers Lair EP. 39: LAKERS ARE 2020 NBA CHAMPIONS! by Basketball Society