Revenge is a delicious concept, regardless of its serving temperature. We can call it ‘evening the score’ all we want, but we know that getting one’s revenge is a win.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were wronged this summer in the eyes of many. Brown, fresh off two series MVPs on his way to a championship, was a better choice than some of those on Team USA, but he wasn’t even invited. Tatum was, but he sat two full games and was a bit player in others.
Such indignities cannot go unpunished. They came into Boston’s house, shot their dog, and now fans want the Jays to go full John Wick on the NBA in response.
It’s such a glorious idea. Tatum and Brown, fueled by vengeance, go on a ruthless run through the league, leaving the broken husks of their competition in their wake.
We can picture it, can’t we? Tatum and Brown giving pithy one-liners on the podium? A Daryl Morey tweet saying “this could have been avoided if Steve just played Jayson” after a Tatum 50-piece? Brown glaring at Grant Hill during a TNT game and Hill admitting on air that he made a mistake that won’t be repeated in 2028?
Oh yeah, that would be a fun movie. It’s too bad reality doesn’t work like that. It would probably end up less John Wick and more It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia when they try to get revenge with a dance at the class reunion.
We have seen what the Celtics look like when Tatum and Brown try to do too much on their own. We saw it against Steve Kerr’s Warriors when they fell short of a title. The Celtics ended up winning it all because they figured out how to get away from concepts like revenge and glory.
Tatum and Brown should use this summer as motivation, but that motivation should show up in the offseason work. It should be the spark that inspires them to get another workout instead of popping another celebratory bottle of champagne. Their revenge will be the complete commitment to the concept that won them the title.
That's not to say that a revenge game here or there is out of the question. Every workout program needs a cheat day, and that could be penciled in as November 6 for Tatum. The team can look to feed him for a few extra buckets so he can turn and glare at the Warriors bench like we all want him to, but the most important part of this would be getting the win.
The last column I want to write is one after a home loss to Golden State in which Tatum had 40. The last thing you want to hear is how Kerr spent the summer getting into Tatum’s head. The last question Tatum wants is “did you want revenge so badly that you got away from what was working as a team?”
I love the idea of Tatum and Brown marauding through the league as much as anyone, but I also know the reality of why this team is constructed the way it is. I know why last season was so successful, and it’s not because two individuals carried the load.
It’s because two individuals used their strengths to break down defenses and exploit the holes they created. It’s because they have role players who are so good that they pick apart what’s left. It’s because they had a singular focus, led by a head coach maniacal about sticking to a proven concept.
Maybe we can get the best of both worlds. Maybe there's a new, post-championship level that these guys can reach where they can be both things. That would be a fun wrinkle to this upcoming season. It’d be really cool if Tatum and Brown learn the basketball version of the five point palm exploding heart technique.
It’d be a lot cooler if they were playing basketball again in June, and I’m not sold on that happening if Tatum and Brown make this season about Tatum and Brown. As much as I’d like to sail with the Dread Pirate Roberts, I’d rather roll through Boston on a duck boat. And as much as we want to see the Celtics bludgeon the Warriors and Steve Kerr, the goal should be to join them in the repeat champions club.