Picks 'n Pops: Optimism for Jayson Tatum, teams for sale, and barking

Every week I gather some thoughts about the Celtics, the NBA, and beyond and dump them here. Because I want more time to watch Stephen A. Smith meltdowns over the Knicks on a loop.

- There are a few reasons to be optimistic about Jayson Tatum post-Achilles surgery. 

First, they got this surgery done almost immediately. It’s almost unprecedented for anyone to have Achilles repair surgery as quickly as Tatum did. He was actually pretty lucky to have it happen in New York, where one of the world’s preeminent Achilles surgeons works and was available. 

Dr. Martin O'Malley, of the Hospital for Special Surgery, has operated on more than 150 professional athletes, including Kevin Durant and Rudy Gay. 

Secondly, Dr. O’Malley is known to use the “SpeedBridge” repair for Achilles surgery, which is known to get athletes back to action quicker than usual. 

If you are so inclined, this link to Arthrex, the developers of the technique, has the full animation of how the technique is performed. 

The short version for squeamish, instead of normally suturing the ruptured ends together, they essentially use a series of suture tape “laces” and anchors to reconnect the two portions of the ruptured Achilles. The procedure is less invasive and it adds support to the overall tendon structure. 

The point of this isn’t about getting Tatum back at a particular time. The point is that the innovative procedure, completed before any buildup of scar tissue, performed by one of the best of the business on a 27-year-old at his body’s absolute peak, all adds up to a big reason for optimism that he’ll be back to something close to his usual self. 

- Big peeve of mine: When I say Tatum should play when he’s ready to play and people disagree by saying “don’t rush him back.” 

Tatum should play whenever he’s ready to play. That means when he’s 100%, having gone through the reconditioning, and he’s fully cleared to play NBA basketball by all of the experts. If that's December 1, March 1, or day one of the 2026-27 season, it doesn’t matter. 

That's not rushing. As I’ve said before, there's nothing more than 100%. Once Tatum is fully healed and in NBA shape, he should start the process of getting his body used to the NBA grind again. I actually think a late-season run would be beneficial, regardless of the situation, so he can go through the soreness, recover, and get the confidence back in his body. 

But if he’s not ready for a late-season run, then he shouldn’t do it.

Keep in mind, we’ve never seen anything like this in the NBA. Who knows what a guy Tatum’s age, with an innovative procedure, can do after this injury? 

- Hearing the details of Tatum’ conversation with his father is sad

- This is just freaky. Both Tatum and Kobe Bryant tore their Achilles tendons at 3:08 of the fourth quarter. 

- I think it will be coaching malpractice to not at least see what Kristaps Porzingis has tonight. I say start him because it’s the best scenario for him to succeed. Plus, it also gives you the most time to recover if he’s terrible and needs to come out. Starting him doesn’t mean playing him 20 minutes. He can be subbed out any time after the game starts. 

- Luke Kornet broke out the barking celebration after his seventh block of the night in Game 5.

Kornet is known to celebrate some moments out there, but it wasn’t on his mind until Derrick White started barking. 

“He kind of started it at one point or at least was like, you know, to me. So then I barked,” Kornet explained. “I was a little, you know, just trying to live in the moment and survive in the moment. But the barking has gone on so shout out to the barking.”

I like the “survive in the moment” line. It lets you know he really understood the gravity of the moment. He was called on to save the Boston Celtics season. That's heavy stuff. 

- Joe Mazzulla, during his weekly radio hit on 98.5, on Kornet: "I would imagine we will be seeing more of him and more of what will give the team the best chance to win. It's a credit to Luke. That guy doesn't give two shits about anything other than giving the team exactly what it needs and just being light and being a great teammate on and off the floor."

- I used this Mazzulla quote already, but it’s so good I’m using it again. 

“At the end of the day, you don't get to pick the test that you have. You just pick how you respond to them, and that's kind of how life works, you know?”

This is where humility comes in. If you are humble enough to accept that life will throw anything your way and there's nothing special that shields you from adversity, you can face it head-on and respond to it well. 

- If the Celtics lose because Mitchell Robinson hit a bunch of free throws, then so be it. 

- The Connecticut Sun are for sale and very likely to be moved out of the Mohegan Sun casino. I’m curious to see what bidders will come forward and if Boston is now a destination. Last summer’s Sun/Sparks game was a sell out and the Indiana Fever game in July will be an event. There is definite interest in the WNBA in Boston. 

I’ll keep making my pitch for Providence. It’s a great compromise for fans and the Amica Mutual Pavillion (it’ll always be the Providence Civic Center to me) seats 14,000, 40% more than the Mohegan Sun Arena. They can probably work out a deal with Providence College or Brown University to use practice facilities nearby over the summer, and some of the college athletes around Rhode Island can fill out their practice squad. 

It makes perfect sense. And I’m not just saying that so they can be 20 minutes from me and I’d be able to buy season tickets. I mean, that IS what would happen, but I’m not JUST saying it because of that. 

- MAJOR Peeve: People claiming something is rigged because it didn’t go how they wanted or expected.

The Dallas Mavericks won the draft lottery. The full video of the drawing is available for everyone to watch. Zach Lowe was in the room and detailed the whole thing on a recent podcast. It was not rigged. 

- I’ve never had less of a grasp on how an offseason will go. The CBA has thrown everything off. Teams are looking to offload salary and there are few teams who can take big salaries in, which mean there might be a bidding war to trade players away. 

I’m excited to see how these front offices operate. 

- Michael Jordan is going to be a contributor to NBC’s NBA coverage. I’m begging for it to be betting tips sponsored by a gambling site. 

- The Portland Trail Blazers are for sale. That will be another interesting bidding process. What does a team in a small market with minimal playoff success fetch? 

- Cristiano Ronaldo topped the Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid athletes again. He made $275 million last year. Steph Curry was second at $156 million, but $100 million of that is off-field earnings for Curry, most on the list. That includes his Under Armor deal and production company. 

Tatum was 44th on the list, at just under $66 million. 

- Maybe Tatum and Jaylen Brown can pitch in and buy the Connecticut Sun. 

- Tatum was at the team hotel, waiting for his teammates as they showed up yesterday. It was a nice surprise for his teammates. 

"We didn't talk about basketball at all. That stuff is bigger than basketball now," Payton Pritchard told reporters at the team’s Friday shootaround. "It's seeing how he is as a person, how he's dealing with stuff. The basketball side, we'll handle that. But just want to check-in as a friend."

I don’t think he’ll be at the game, and I’m not sure he’s allowed to fly just yet, but I’m sure his teammates seeing him around was a great feeling for everyone, especially for Tatum’s spirits. 

- This was a cool idea from the Celtics: 

- We need to appreciate this diving play from Brown more: 

What an incredible Game 5 he had, especially defensively. 

- Here’s a shining example of why Mazzulla hates missing contested layups. 

- Happy Birthday Don Nelson

- This week’s AI-generated image: You know, when the weather is nice, sometimes having your back against the wall isn't so bad?

- Luke Kornet stepped up in a big way to help save his team’s season. There's no way anyone else is having a better week. In fact, it’s the Best Week Ever!

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