Every week, I gather some thoughts about the Celtics, the NBA, and beyond and dump them here. Because I also didn’t really do anything at the Winter Meetings.
– The more I think about it, the more I realize how badly Milwaukee needed that game last night. I don’t think jobs were on the line, but any thread of being able to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo has to hinge on them figuring this season out. They had a desperation that Boston didn’t.
– Jayson Tatum looks good. Between the videos he’s been releasing and the few times we’ve seen him at the end of practices, Tatum looks like he’s on track to return this season.
Which means it’s time for me to reiterate that if he’s healthy and cleared, he should play. Whenever that is, whatever Boston’s situation, Tatum should play when he’s healthy and cleared to play.
As far as I’m concerned, this regular season ends when Tatum returns, and the 2026-27 preseason begins. I don’t care about this little run Boston is on in December, nor do I care that they are in the middle of the Eastern Conference pack. I’m being realistic about this team.
I just want Tatum to come back, knock off the rust, and get some reps with the new guys. I want him to figure out what he has and doesn’t have after the injury. Then I want him to take all the information into the offseason and prepare for next season.
Now, if Tatum returns in March and, a month later, it’s obvious he’s enough of himself that he can help the Celtics make a playoff run, so be it. I’m not really considering that possibility, but if that happens, then this season is a bonus. What I don’t want is for him to get caught up in playoff hysteria and overdo it. So as long as he’s handled appropriately, which I believe the organization will obviously prioritize, then I’m okay with it.
And let me just build on that last point for a second: Anyone thinking this team would do anything to put Tatum in jeopardy is insane. There aren’t any other paths for the Celtics. There isn’t a free agent coming. There’s no trade for a superstar. Their only chance at another championship is Tatum and Jaylen Brown working together. They won’t do anything to jeopardize that. So if Tatum is playing, you better believe it’s because multiple doctors and trainers said he could.
– The Celtics front office was voted second-best in the league in an Athletic survey of NBA teams. No one is catching the OKC Thunder, who have gamed the system to a point where only a meteor strike could derail their dynasty. But Brad Stevens’ quick-strike championship in the face of the second apron felt like Indiana Jones escaping the boulder, and his ability to find scrap-heap guys and what looks like draft hits at the end of the first and second rounds makes him an obvious non-Sam Presti choice.
– The next time you think about saying “fire Joe Mazzulla,” keep in mind that he’s one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. According to a new report by Sportico, Mazzulla is making $11 million per year, tied for fourth in the league with Doc Rivers, Ime Udoka, and Rick Carlisle.
– There’s a lot of talk about what Jordan Walsh’s nickname should be, which is a great way to never get him a nickname. Those happen organically. Shaquille O’Neal told reporters after facing the Celtics that Paul Pierce was the truth, and next thing you know, “The Truth” stuck. People say things along the way, and one of them sticks. That’s it. Trying too hard almost never results in anything. In fact, the harder people try, the worse they get.
– I couldn’t resist photoshopping Mazzulla onto Dagobah to train with Yoda.
