Picks 'n Pops: 'Soft' stars, promising analysis & paying immediate dividends

Every week I gather some thoughts about the Celtics, the NBA, and beyond and dump them here. Because I was once again snubbed for a Golden Globe.

- Brandon Jennings called Jayson Tatum soft because he “let” Jaylen Brown win Finals MVP. 

Tatum can do more than he does, but he’s on a great team with great talent. His best chance at winning is by taking one step back so the rest of his team can take big steps forward. 

I wouldn’t expect Jennings to understand that, though.  

Just in case you ever want to know why Jennings flamed out, it’s because he has this me-first attitude directly tied to his machismo. He’s probably a guy who uses the word “alpha” a lot. Guys who talk about alphas a lot aren’t actually alphas. Alphas don’t have to announce themselves. You just know.   

- To that end, here's Derrick White on the "Young Man and the Three" podcast talking about Tatum and Brown:

"It's great to see how much they empower guys like me, Payton (Pritchard). If we got it going, they're like 'don't hesitate." They're the stars and they can be like some stars you hear about, but I think really do a great job of just empowering us to play our game, and having so much faith and trust in us, and it really helps. For me personally, I feel like I've taken a big step because of guys like JT and JB."

That's leadership in a nutshell.

- During the road trip, Kristaps Porzingis said the team had a "good meeting before this trip, just looking-in-the-mirror type of meeting, see where we can improve and do better, because teams are obviously coming for us, and some of them are playing their best basketball against us. Some small adjustments we want to make.”

Maybe Al Horford wasn't invited?

- Xfinity customers will have to pay $20 more to watch NESN and NBC Sports Boston starting next week. YouTubeTV doesn’t even have NESN anymore. Every streaming service seems to have its hands on some small package of games at this point. 

How much money do they want from us just to watch our teams play sports? How about this to answer as to why ratings are down? You need Nicholas Cage to find you the map on the back of the Declaration of Independence just so you can find all the regular season games at this point. 

No wonder illegal streams are so popular.

- That said, congratulations to Blake Griffin for getting an analyst spot on the new Amazon Prime NBA show.  I’m really looking forward to hearing how he breaks down the game. 

Please, please, please stick to this, Blake. Don’t let the machine ruin you! 

- Griffin recently described playing in Boston: 

I always love the concept of giving super-rich people stuff for free like that. If I was a server and I saw Blake come in, I’d be fighting people to get that table. That would pay my rent. I assume Blake still tipped but still, I want some certainty here.

- Derrick White has fallen out of the top 10 in the latest All-Star voting returns.

I don’t think it’s going to happen this year. 

- Brad Stevens has made his dream come true. Not only has he created a champion, he’s created one in the mold of the San Antonio Spurs championship runs … because people can’t stop calling them boring. 

I remember talking to Spurs fans 15 years ago, in the heart of their dominance, about how boring their team was. They HATED that. I’d hear “oh, I guess winning is boring?” or “you’re not seeing everything they do.” 

It’s just funny to see people in Boston making those same arguments now. 

- Speaking of which, I had enough when I saw Bob Ryan, a professional hero of mine, tweet this after the OKC/Cleveland game:

Do we have to do this every time? Do we have to check the box score before we determine if a game was good or not? I’ve seen plenty of great games with and without 3-pointers. 

I just couldn't control myself after that. 

Ten years ago people were arguing for rims to be raised because there were so many dunks. People were bored by that. 

It’s always something. The NBA will do something to change 3-pointers and people will complain about 18-footers in 2035 because no one is ever just happy. 

- After the loss to OKC, I shared this play: 

I wrote "the drive option demands Tatum play with more force. On this drive, he's simply trying to out-sprint everyone to rim and glide for the layup. He gets too out of control. I thought he was fouled on this play watching it live, but he wasn't. He just fell. What he should have done was slow down, put a shoulder in Hartenstein's chest, bury him under the basket, play off two feet, and dunk on him."

Then Tatum went and did this against Denver:

I also shared this play from Jaylen Brown: 

I wrote "Brown is gathering with THREE Thunder defenders on him yet he still goes up for the shot. Because he's Jaylen Brown, he still almost made it, but that play is screaming for a pass to Holiday in the corner."

Then he did this against Denver: 

First of all, yes, I very much am lighting up a cigar like Hannibal from the A-Team and saying "I love it when a plan comes together." 

Secondly, Thank you Jayson and Jaylen for IMMEDIATELY doing the exact things I said they should do. I knew those situations would present themselves at some point, but not in rapid succession within the first five minutes of the next game. 

- Since I'm sharing plays, let's just watch Kristaps Porzingis block DeAndre Jordan again.

Man I do love a good defense-to-offense highlight.

- Oshae Brissett opened up about his struggles waiting for an NBA opportunity: 

The NBA is a cold business, and because shooting is at such a premium, a guy like Brissett is going to have a tough time finding his next chance. He's not a good shooter, and unless he refines his shot, it's going to be hard for him. 

- When I'm President, I will outlaw the "No [player name], No Problem" line whenever the shorthanded team leads or wins.

- Joe Mazzulla made a good point in a radio interview about coaches being fired. Aside from his usual "we're hired to be fired" line, which is true, he said we don't focus enough on all the assistants who are being let go as well, and how so many people have relocated to do these jobs. it's especially true in football with all the coordinators and such. 

Look, coaches get fired all the time. Sometimes it's the right call, sometimes it's a cop-out by a crappy owner. But a lot of people behind the scenes just trying to do their best in that situation are having their lives ripped apart. Yes, they signed up for that, but it doesn't make it any easier. 

- Jimmy Butler taking petty shots at the Heat

- I’ve seen a million fake trades trying to send Butler to Phoenix, or anywhere, and none of them make sense. I'm really struggling to find out how this thing gets done. 

- Bradley Beal has had a couple of really good games as a sixth man for Phoenix. He doesn't want to be a sixth man, but also, that's their best chance at winning and figuring this out. Beal had the no-trade clause in Washington and accepted the deal to Phoenix knowing it was part of a trio with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. People started talking about Beal going to the bench right away, so this couldn't have been a surprise. 

I don't know if he's going to embrace it because he's finally playing well or use it as a way out of town. I'd encourage him to ride this out and just roll with it. He's already gotten paid, so just ride this out and see if it works.

- If there was ever a photo made for a "caption this" contest, it's this one from today's shoot around: 

I've already seen jokes ranging from planning a heist to studying the hunting techniques of various animals to Joe's favorite scene in "The Town." 

- Cade Cunningham with what should have been the best intentionally missed a free throw ever.

It's too bad they blew that play dead. I wanted to see Simone Fontecchio hit that shot. 

I honestly think Cunningham was trying to hit the front of the rim and missed. That worked out even better because it gave a more true bounce off the flat backboard. I don't think he could graze the rim like that again if he tried. 

- Guys, the Pacers did it! 

- Your NBA Belt Champions ... STILL the Cleveland Cavaliers, who impressed the hell out of me not only beating OKC, but then surviving the trap game after that by beating the Raptors without Donovan Mitchell. Who else but the Cavs are having the Best Week Ever!

- This week's Bing AI-Generated image: Time to put sports rivalries aside and send our love and whatever help we can give to Los Angeles as these devastating fires rage. 

- Here's my latest podcast, if you're bored.