Picks 'n Pops: Secrecy around Tatum, dirty plays, and BREAKING NEWS!

ORLANDO -- Every week I gather some thoughts about the Celtics, the NBA, and beyond and dump them here. Because the folks at Disney didn't buy that my ears are proof I'm related to Mickey Mouse and should be let into the park for free.

- According to Joe Mazzulla, Jayson Tatum is dealing with a “severe” bone bruise. That means he’s probably going to be dealing with this thing for the entire playoffs.

Tatum is listed as doubtful for Game 3. The team held a shoot-around at Kia Center but there was no sign of Tatum. However, the Celtics deviated from their standard plan of holding media after shoot-around, moving it to before and then ending availabilities before he and Jaylen Brown normally took their turns on the floor. 

It’s rare for the Celtics to do that. Usually we show up at the end, and we get to watch Brown and Tatum go through their routines. My assumption is that they don’t want us to see how each guy looks in warmups, tweeting out videos, and letting the Magic get an inside look at their preparation for the game. 

- Between this and Brown’s knee, which he’s playing through brilliantly right now, but the issue still exists and he is listed as questionable tonight, the Celtics are going to need a little luck along the way to repeat. That luck can come in the form of continued poor shooting by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Magic supporting cast, giving Boston a sweep instead of an extra game. It could come in the Pistons and Knicks going six or seven, making that second round easier. Anything that breaks their way that's out of their control will be welcome. 

- One of my favorite basketball concepts is how clutch baskets can come at any point in a game. A big defensive play and bucket to stop a second-quarter 6-0 run in its tracks is clutch. 

And so was Brown’s Game 2. It’s the same concept. If Boston sweeps here and gets an extra break and they catch some luck like I just mentioned, this Game 2 performance will be a big reason why. And just like we forget the clutch basket in the second quarter because there's so much time for so many other plays, there will be other big games that occupy our memories from this run. But if Boston repeats, that performance should be seen as a big reason why. 

- I keep talking about how the Celtics are playing at Orlando’s pace and I’ve gotten some comments about how the Celtics are also a slow team. But what I’m talking about is more tempo than number of possessions. The Celtics need to play at a better tempo, starting their offense earlier in the shot clock. 

The Celtics averaged 274.7 passes per game in the regular season. They're averaging 239.5 in this series. Orlando averaged 279.3 passes in the regular season and is at 277.5. The Celtics have seen a big departure from their normal style of play while the Magic are kind of doing what they've always done. Boston has to fight for their opportunities

- I love that Kristaps Porzingis is soaking up the adoration from fans after getting busted open, but can we get him a signature moment that maybe doesn’t involve blood loss? 

- Ja Morant hit the deck HARD last night, leaving Game 3 against OKC with the Grizzlies. 

That was an unfortunate play, but not a dirty play. You can see Lu Dort slip as he turns. He had no shot of getting out of the way. 

What bugs me about this isn’t fans with emotional reactions, it’s someone like Draymond Green calling the play dirty when it should be obvious to a player that it wasn’t. It’s ridiculous that he’s out there fanning those flames. 

- Memphis’ season is over now. There's no need to play Morant in Game 4. You could see the air go out of that building after Morant’s injury and there's no need to force him onto the floor to try to save face or anything. It’s over. They have a lot of work to do in the offseason. 

- This might be a crazy summer. I don’t know what Memphis is going to do. The Bucks have a potential situation on their hands if they get bounced in the first round. The Nuggets got embarrassed last night in Los Angeles and Nikola Jokic erupted in frustration multiple times on the sidelines. Atlanta is remaking its front office. Not to mention the Celtics probably having to find their way under the second apron.

We already live in a world where Luka Doncic was moved. Is there more coming? This could get nuts. 

- Nico Harrison made an insane decision to trade Doncic and do so without actively shopping him around the league, and he has made everything worse every time he’s opened his mouth to defend the trade. 

- The Knicks should NOT be having this much trouble with the Pistons. If Detroit wins, the Celtics are going to feel like they're in an eight-to-ten game series against the same team. 

- Congratulations to Payton Pritchard on winning Sixth Man of the Year. He joins an elite group of Celtics to win the award, including Kevin McHale twice, Bill Walton, and Malcolm Brogdon. 

“You're not going to be asked to be the best player when you walk into a building,” Pritchard said after winning. “I wasn't asked to be the best player when I was a freshman in high school. I had to earn that right. And then straight into college, I played with five pros. My freshman year, I wasn't allowed to shoot much, but then, over time, I had to earn the right to become the best player. So each role, every year, you just you got to be amazing in that role, and that's what I try to pride myself on. So this year, obviously coming off the bench, and the goal was to be the best guard in the NBA or best player period off the bench. And that's what I set my sights on. And I'm glad I achieved it.”

- Wyc Grousbeck says “a lot of former partners are coming in” to the new ownership group. 

I’m curious to see what this means. It seems like Wyc is investing back into the team, too. So this could be less of a transition than we thought. 

- Today is the 75th anniversary of the Celtics drafting Chuck Cooper and the beginning of the integration of the NBA. The Celtics were always on the forefront of social change, from drafting Cooper, to the first all-Black starting five, to Bill Russell becoming head coach. 

- Anecdotally, I’ve heard a lot of flights from the New England area have been full of Celtics fans. With Game 3 on Friday night and Game 4 on Sunday, this is a perfect weekend to get to Orlando, hit Disney or Universal (or both if you’re truly a maniac), and go to one of these games. I think the Celtics will be well-represented in the stands this weekend. 

- I’m picking Universal over Disney. I’m not really a big theme park guy, per se, but when it comes to cartoon characters, I’d rather hang out with the Simpsons than Disney characters. 

Also I fear I’d never leave Star Wars land. Put me in that Millenium Falcon and you’ll need all the stormtroopers to drag me out. 

- The Clippers with a healthy Kawhi Leonard and functional James Harden are a completely different animal. I don’t think they’ll get past OKC, but I don’t think it’ll be easy for the Thunder. 

- The NBA spends all season trying to get games to two hours only to have these playoff games be 2:30-3 hour slogs in regulation

- I loved all the “BREAKING NEWS” graphics when Cooper Flagg officially declared for the draft. Nothing highlights the insane desire for as much attention as possible as the big flashy social media posts telling us that thing everyone knew was happening actually happened. Why not start every day with a “BREAKING: THE SUN ROSE AGAIN THIS MORNING” or “BREAKING: KENYAN WINS BOSTON MARATHON” graphic? We already know, dude. It’s cool. 

- That said, follow me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes videos of my life on the beat. 

- Victor Wembanyama’s deep vein thrombosis earned Evan Mobley $45 million dollars in incentives. That's how much extra Mobley is getting for winning Defensive Player of the Year … an award that Wembanyama was running away with before the clotting issue.

- This might be the weirdest thing you'll ever see in sports. In the same inning of a game between the Portland Sea Dogs and Hartford Yard Goats, each team recorded an out in the exact same fashion, down to the pitch, speed, situation, and execution. 

- All those people showed up in Green Bay just to hear names being called?

- I can think of a lot better use for tens of millions of dollars than shooting a few celebrities into space. 

- This week’s AI-generated image: Let’s just complete the look, right? 

- For silencing the doubters over the years and joining a prestigious club of sixth men for a franchise that pioneered the concept, there is no doubt that Payton Pritchard is having the Best Week Ever!

- Here’s my latest podcast, if you’re bored