The Bounce: What is Jaylen Brown trying to accomplish, exactly?

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The excellent news is that James Harden joined Bob Cousy in a playoff stat! The unhealthy information is that Harden tied Cousy along with his twentieth playoff recreation of taking pictures 25 p.c or much less with a minimal of 10 shot makes an attempt. Harden went 3-of-13 from the sphere for 10 factors vs. the Pistons final evening. Speaking of which…

Trouble brewing?

What’s occurring with Jaylen Brown?

There are a whole lot of questions proper now about Jaylen Brown and his future with the Boston Celtics. I do know, I do know. We’ve been by way of this earlier than. For years, it felt like folks questioned if Brown and Jayson Tatum may coexist on the staff, and… I’m not completely positive why. But it was a dialog!

With Tatum lacking a lot of this season, Brown received to be the unquestioned finest participant on the staff. It will doubtless lead to an All-NBA First Team choice and placement within the prime 5 in MVP voting. (We do not have the outcomes but.)

The Celtics additionally simply had a historic collapse in opposition to the 76ers within the first spherical. Since then, Brown has gone on a livestream tear that has folks questioning whether or not he needs to be in Boston long-term.

Here’s the timeline of the previous few days:

• May 2: Celtics blow a 3-1 lead to No. 7 seed Philadelphia and are eradicated.
• May 3: Brown hosts a livestream, criticizing officers and saying this was “the most fun season” he is ever had.
• May 5: The NBA ends him $50,000.
• May 5: Tracy McGrady says Brown’s frustration “lies deeply within the organization and other things,” on a podcast. McGrady and Brown are shut.
• May 6: Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens tells the media“I talked to Jaylen (on) Monday… It was nothing but positive. He has not expressed those frustrations to me.”
• May 6: On one other livestream, Brown tried to make clear issues by saying, “Me and Brad have a great relationship. I love Boston. If it were up to me, I would play in Boston for the next 10 years.”
• May 7: Jaylen gets into a social media spat with Stephen A. Smith after the ESPN pundit talked about these feedback on TV.

OK, so that you could be questioning why individuals are freaking out about Brown after this rundown. Let’s dive in.

What is alarming about what Brown has completed or stated? People have been grabbed by the remark that this was the “most fun season” Brown has had. Two years in the past, Brown received Eastern Conference MVP, NBA Finals MVP and a championship. This yr, he was top-of-the-line gamers within the league, however his staff was bounced within the first spherical. People are viewing this as a egocentric standpoint by Brown and thus questioning whether or not he needs to share the limelight with Tatum.

Is {that a} unhealthy factor? Yes and no? Brown positively looks like he is top-of-the-line gamers within the league, and people guys need to unfold their wings generally. We’ve seen it quite a bit. Scottie Pippen received that probability when Michael Jordan retired the primary time in Chicago. Harden received that probability when he ended up in Houston. Kyrie Irving received that probability when he discovered his method to Boston. It would not be outlandish to marvel if Brown needs that in some unspecified time in the future. It does not imply he’ll transfer towards trying to get his personal staff.

So what is the drama? Well… 1) It’s the web, and that is what we do. 2) T-Mac stating the stuff about frustrations sounded an alarm bell. I do not count on Brown to demand a commerce or something, however listening to about frustrations — whether or not he is expressed them to Stevens or not — raises an eyebrow or two.

What ought to we consider this? If you need to be dramatic about it or purchase into drama, then I’d say learn towards the concept of ​​Brown wanting to be the principle star on his personal staff. That would not shock me.

However, I have a tendency to suppose this is all simply pointed towards a contract extension. The soon-to-be-30-year-old is extension-eligible this offseason. He has two assured years left at $57 million and $61 million. Then he has a participant choice for almost $65 million. An extension would tear that choice up and provides him one other two years at over $140 million complete. My guess is he is angling for that extension.

The final 24

🏀 Surprise rating? John Hollinger has his prime 15 NBA Draft prospects. Wait, Darryn Peterson is fourth?

📺Where’s the sport? Shakeia Taylor investigates a key query: Why is it so arduous to find NBA playoff games on TV at a bar?

🏀 Tip-off. The WNBA season begins tonight. Here is one question for every team.

🗽 KAT connection. The greatest fan of Karl-Anthony Towns is the mom of a Marine who was killed in Afghanistan. Our Ian O’Connor tells the tale of their special bond.

Stream the NBA on Fubo (try it for free!) and catch out-of-market video games on League Pass.

About final evening

Pistons 107, Cavs 97 | Pistons lead 2-0

The recreation recaps for these playoffs have principally been formulaic, except the story requires one thing else. I’ll counsel changes that would or ought to occur. I’ll give a telling stat that explains why the consequence occurred. Then we slap on a enjoyable, emoji-driven Panic Meter rating and transfer on to the remainder of the publication. I’m unsure I even need to do this as I write this one in a stream of consciousness.

I need to give credit score to the Pistons for having two good, encouraging video games after a depressing first spherical in opposition to the Magic that sapped a whole lot of confidence in them. Detroit has been a lot better and extra even to start this second spherical. But I walked away from these first two video games considering “enough is enough” with the Cavs. Every yr, we marvel if this staff can do one thing within the playoffs. And yearly, it comes up quick. Not as a result of issues did not go the Cavs’ method. It’s as a result of they can not assist however get in their very own method.

These guys are usually not critical. They’re not powerful. They haven’t any resilience. Jarrett Allen delivered, however you’d by no means know Evan Mobley was a latest Defensive Player of the Year. Harden performs like a wax statue model of himself and a number of instances has not been ready to dribble previous Duncan Robinson. Their bench has no impression. People determined to consider in them due to the Harden acquisition on the commerce deadline, ignoring his historical past of postseason failure and hoping for accidents could be ok to give them a move.

Cade Cunningham simply has to be on par with Donovan Mitchell on this collection and belief his supporting solid will ship. The Pistons’ protection is swarming and flustering the Cavs. I get that it is early within the collection and “anything can happen in Cleveland,” however the Cavs really feel like they’re simply losing everyone’s time.

• What’s the adjustment for Cleveland? Have their massive males shield the paint and have their perimeter gamers lower off dribble penetration.
• How does Detroit take one other one? Continue to fly everywhere in the courtroom and use its exercise and aggressiveness to make the Cavs wilt.
• Telling standing: 7-of-32. That was the Cavs’ 3-point taking pictures. They’re down to 33.2 p.c from deep on this postseason.

Playoff Panic Meter (out of 5): ⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️ for Cleveland

Thunder 125, Lakers 107 | Thunder lead 2-0

Game 1 of this collection noticed the Lakers throw a whole lot of totally different coverages at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, irritating him a bit, however finally dropping as a result of they solely scored 90 factors. They have been a lot better offensively in Game 2, and Austin Reaves bounced again to put up 31 factors. But it nonetheless wasn’t sufficient, as a result of the Thunder broke by way of within the second half.

That’s the problem with enjoying the Thunder. Eventually, the dam breaks with them, and there are a few runs in a brief period of time you simply cannot face up to. SGA had 22 factors, as did Chet Holmgren. Ajay Mitchell had 20 factors, and Jared McCain dropped 18 off the bench, making his commerce from the 76ers this season much more bewildering.

• What’s the adjustment for Los Angeles? It has to lower down on the turnovers — 21 turnovers in opposition to the Thunder is dying.
• How does OKC take one other one? Just maintain the wave of position gamers and depth coming. Eventually, it wears down this Lakers staff.
• Telling standing: 20. The variety of factors for Mitchell, as we talked about. He prolonged the Thunder’s file to 26-2 when he scores at the very least 15 factors.

Playoff Panic Meter (out of 5): 🎬🎬🎬🎬 for Los Angeles

Since we’re right here, let’s do a fast preview of tonight’s Game 3s. All instances Eastern.

Knicks at 76ers, 7 pm (Prime Video) | Knicks lead 2-0

• Adjustment for Philadelphia: Attack the paint. Doing this with tempo will put the Knicks’ protection on their heels.
• Adjustment for New York: Keep enjoying inside-out. The Knicks’ capability to get the ball into the paint makes it arduous for the Sixers to cowl the rim and the perimeter.

Spurs at Wolves, 9:30 pm (Prime Video) | Series tied 1-1

• Adjustment for Minnesota: Start Anthony Edwards. It’s time to get him going from the beginning so he does not have to get a really feel for the sport when he lastly checks in.
• Adjustment for San Antonio: Keep enjoying inside-out. When it put strain on the paint in opposition to Minnesota in Game 2, the Wolves could not sustain.

Spin City

Let’s simulate the lottery one final time

As we lead up to Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery, we’re taking a spin on the Tankathon lottery simulator day-after-day this week.

Tankathon is the perfect web site for tracking the lottery odds. It’s additionally the perfect web site for simulating the lottery and seeing what comes up. We are trying to work out what would occur with every random drawing. One spin and we play the consequence, it doesn’t matter what. On Monday, Miami received the highest choose. On Tuesday, it was Dallas going back-to-back. On Wednesday, Indiana took it. Yesterday, AJ Dybantsa stayed in Utah with the Jazz.

For our final one earlier than the true lottery, it is New Orleans’ worst nightmare:

The Derik Queen commerce on draft evening final yr introduced a very good constructing block to the Pelicans, but it surely did not carry Dybantsa from BYU to the Bayou. Instead, the Hawks luck out with the Pelicans successful the lottery, which sends the No. 1 choose to Atlanta. They’d completely take Dybantsa and add him to the scale and athleticism they’ve on the wings.

Chicago will get a giant enhance for its new entrance workplace and a blue-chip prospect for the Windy City. Would the Bulls go together with Kansas’ Peterson as their subsequent star guard or go together with a well-known household by taking Duke’s Cameron Boozer — whose father, Carlos, performed for the franchise from 2010-14? That could be up to the Reinsdorfs.

Indiana retains its choose by locking in third and taking the participant the Bulls do not. All week, Washington has taken some tough spins on this experiment by us.

The draft lottery is Sunday at 3 pm ET on ESPN and ABC.