Picks 'n Pops: Media Massacre, old Jaylen, and an unsatiated ego

Every week I gather some thoughts about the Celtics, the NBA, and beyond and dump them here. Because I’m too sore to move after that game against the Celtics coaches.

- There's a reason I haven't written about that media vs. coaches thrashing until now. 

I’m pissed off. 

A few people in the game wrote fun stories about how it was a great time and all that, but I can’t get myself there, mentally. I don’t care that I’m 52 years old or … ahem … a few pounds above my playing weight. My brain is still as competitive as ever, and seeing that final score still has me seething. 

I’m not mad at Joe Mazzulla for doing it, nor am I upset that he decided to press the whole time (though I did throw a towel at him in the middle of it). I’m upset that we didn’t figure out how to break the press. I’m upset that I lost my composure in the midst of it and didn’t think to call a timeout, set something up, and get at least a couple of good looks. I’m upset I didn’t put someone on their butt with a pick to at least let them know I was out there. 

I can take a beating. I’d rather get smoked 57-4 than have some kind of pity game where they took it easy on us. The only problem I’ve ever had after a blowout is with myself. 

I spent a lot of the pregame at TD Garden the next day talking about how a press break should have gone. I spent time last night after my podcast going over things I should have done, messages I should have sent, with my cohost. 

I don’t give a (very long string of expletives deleted) about them being former pros and us being media. I hold all basketball players to a standard, and I don’t feel like I lived up to that at all. So I’m as pissed at me as I would be a Celtic for lacking awareness. 

It ended up being great for Mazzulla to see our passion for the game, which is a big positive. I think players and coaches see the media as a bunch of 80’s movie nerds, and they're the jocks we’re trying to antagonize. I’m glad they got to see how much we love the game. 

But nothing is going to change my brain. My competitive nature wants to run it back, even if we can get it to 50-10. 

I should probably get in better shape for that, though. 

- Yes, I did shove a guy out of frustration. And I told Joe I was trying to elbow him the whole time, but I just couldn't catch him. 

- This look should sum up everything I just said. 

- I did have Joe in the post once, but we couldn't get the ball over half court to get it to me. This all would have been totally worth it if I was able to score on him in the post. 

- This is the closest I could get to messing with Joe. 

He got soft on us and didn’t react like I thought he would. He was too sentimental after the game. He was like the Grinch and I was Cindy-Lou Who. 

- I’m curious how much Mazzulla can change how the Celtics play this season. They are trying to go from finesse team to gritty team, and I’m not sure that's an easy transition to make. The hope has to be that there are enough new guys who are desperate for minutes that they can raise the intensity for everyone. 

- I’ve said multiple times that I want Hugo Gonzalez to get more reps by playing in the G League because that will be most beneficial to a 19-year-old making the transition into the NBA. 

At the same time, I’m wondering if he’s ready enough to contribute right away, maybe giving the Celtics 10-15 minutes a night off the bench. 

And if he is, is that better or worse for his development? 

- Jayson Tatum explained why we’re thinking about his recovery all wrong.

"Everybody thinks it's a time-based recovery,” he told PokerStrategy.com. “Time is obviously important, but you have to hit certain benchmarks. The most important thing is all these tests of your strength, the strength in your calf, the strength in your leg. Getting into the same strength as your left calf or even stronger.”

Of course, there is a general amount of time that has taken for most players, but it’s not about being out a certain amount of time. Tatum is basically saying the same things I’ve been saying. When his body is ready, it’s ready, and whether that's at six, nine, or 12 months doesn’t matter. 

The number one thing for Tatum is hitting those benchmarks and not rushing to get there. Whatever amount of time that takes is irrelevant. 

- Again, people are reacting to Tatum dunking, this time noting it’s a fiercer dunk. 

That's all great, but I don’t care much that he can jump and cock back a dunk. I care more that he’s gingerly landing, which tells me he’s not ready to put that kind of force on the Achilles yet. 

- Happy trails, Malcolm Brogdon. I’m sure he just didn’t want to put his body through another NBA season, but he also gave us the easy joke that’d rather quit than play for the Knicks. So thank you for that. 

- Mazzulla hates preseason games: 

“I hate preseason games. You should just have practice for a month straight … To me, you come in here and practice, and you’re just in your work, you know? So the idea is to try to make the preseason game as close to practice as you can, because you're always going through things, you know? Who's on a minute's restriction, who may be sitting out trying to save yourself for the regular season, you know, all those things which are important, but, yeah, we should just have like 30 practices before the game.”

Preseason games are more meaningless than ever. Some teams are getting something out of it, but it’s happening far less frequently. 

- Jaylen Brown got his first question about getting older this week, being classified as an “old head.” He laughed and said, “damn, ‘old head’ hurts.” He did say it was an honor to be that guy, but it’s tough to get that question at 29. 

I say it a lot, but being a pro athlete really is like living a short, condensed life. You’re a baby at 19, you have to a veteran leader at 24, you’re middle-aged at 29, and you’re ancient at 39. Then you retire and everyone delivers your eulogy. 

Being a high-level pro is a great life, but it’s fleeting as all hell. 

- Payton Pritchard is part of a group of NBA players launching the new “Off Court” app, which gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at NBA life, as well as player podcasts and merchandise. 

Right now, it’s just Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith, and Darius Garland. It’ll be interesting to see if this takes off. 

- Paul George is expected to miss the Celtics' home opener next week, so things are already going great in Philly. 

- Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking the desire to play for a home team to the next level, saying he wants to play for a Greek team after he retires from the NBA. 

I’m curious to see how his game ages and how that will translate, but that will be fun for the fans in Greece. Those fans can be tough, though. If the expectations are too high, that might not go as well as he hopes. 

- 30 rocks at 30 Rock is a pretty clever promotion for the NBA’s return to NBC. 

- Congrats to the Las Vegas Aces on their third championship in four seasons. At one point this season, they looked to be slipping out of things. They lost a game by 50 and it looked really bad for them. Then they whipped off 17 straight and won a title. 

So ... there's hope for us media members in our matchups against the coaches yet. 

- Bill Belichick could have just ridden off into the sunset to be praised as one of the best coaches ever. Instead, he had to become a stereotype with the young girlfriend and massive, unsatiated ego. 

A little self-awareness could have gone a long way. But people at the very top of their profession rarely have that. They just keep holding on, trying to prove something that doesn’t need to be proven to anyone but themselves. 

It’s a motor that got them to the top, but it all too often keeps them moving past the peak, down the other side of the mountain, and off a ledge into the abyss below. 

- Well, Joe Mazzulla got to throttle the media in basketball, and he learned some lessons along the way. Meanwhile, the preseason is over so now he can do nothing but practice for the week. Right now, that qualifies as the Best Week Ever!

Also, considering what’s ahead for the Celtics in the regular season, Joe is about to have his worst week ever. 

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