NBA Notes: Jazz, Lauri Markkanen, Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Kings, Ben Simmons

Jazz

Lauri Markkanen finds himself in a position he isn’t entirely accustomed to. He’s the old guy.

Markkanen, 29, said Monday that taking on a mentoring role with young Jazz players such as Ace Bailey and rookie Darryn Peterson feels a little strange.

“Since I’m the old guy now, it kind of feels weird to be in this spot,” Markkanen said during the Jazz’s media day AMA. “I feel like I was just in their shoes a couple of years ago.”

Markkanen said the youngsters have made that job easy because they’re willing to work and learn.

He also sounded optimistic about Utah’s chances of taking a step forward, saying everyone around the facility has been “locked in” throughout the summer.

Celtics

Joe Mazzulla doesn’t sound particularly frightened by the uncertainty surrounding the new-look Celtics. Actually, he seems to like it.

Boston enters camp without Jaylen Brown after his blockbuster trade to the 76ers, while Paul George and Mitchell Robinson are among the newcomers joining Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.

Mazzulla said he’s excited by the “unknown” and views the uncertainty as an opportunity rather than something to fear, as detailed by CelticsBlog.

Tatum, meanwhile, spoke warmly about Brown’s nine seasons in Boston and expressed his respect for George, whom he now gets to call a teammate.

Different Celtics. Same expectations.

Kings

Ben Simmons knows what people have been saying about him. He also doesn’t seem terribly interested in hearing any more of it.

The new Kings guard delivered a rather colorful response to his critics at media day Monday, saying he’s entering Sacramento with something to prove after injuries and inconsistency helped derail the past several years of his career, as relayed by USA Today.

Simmons signed with the Kings this offseason and fills the final open spot on their roster.

At his best, the three-time All-Star gives Sacramento size, playmaking and defensive versatility. The question, of course, is how much of that version remains.

Simmons sounds eager to find out. So do the Kings.