BOSTON — Jaylen Brown shocked me most this coaching camp.
Nothing that occurred on the ground modified my view on how this season will play out for him, Brown as doubtless as anybody to experience the highs-and-lows of struggling the losses and main damage that these Celtics did. However his first assertion upon arrival Media Day late final month did alter my expectations for a way this 12 months might play out for Boston. Above all else, in my thoughts, Brown would use 2025-26 to indicate what he’s able to, show he can lead a workforce and emphasize how a lot he’s sacrificed to assist the Celtics win. He shut down the obvious storyline on day one.
”I really feel assured in myself,” Brown stated, stepping onto NBC Sports activities Boston’s set. “I feel that’s extra of the media narratives between the 1As and the 1Bs and all that sort of stuff. Mentally, I don’t partake in that.”
Sitting upstairs, awaiting Brown’s full press convention that day, it turned clear he wouldn’t embrace what he has in different interviews prior to now. As just lately as this offseason talking to CelticsBlog, Brown mirrored on being requested to do what different stars haven’t, the sacrifice it’s taken to make the dynamic with Jayson Tatum work and his confidence in having the ability to lead his personal franchise. Brown, as an alternative, sounded relaxed all through coaching camp with the place he stands, the problem in entrance of him and believing, following a championship that affirmed him with NBA and East Finals MVP awards, that he’s sufficient.
Nonetheless, when Brown reached the rostrum that afternoon, the questions adopted. I puzzled if he’s trying ahead to exhibiting the basketball world what he’s able to. Others puzzled about whether or not he hears and weighs the skin expectations. Brown pivoted towards differing to others round him, play-making and even approaching this 12 months with a defense-first mentality.
“I discover, at occasions, it tries to enter my mind, however probably not,” Brown stated. “I really feel like I’ve proven that at completely different occasions in my profession. That’s the narrative or storyline that everyone needs to go along with, however I’m gonna method it the identical means I’ve all the time approached it. Clearly, I’m gonna have extra accountability with Jayson not being right here, but it surely additionally offers an opportunity for different guys to step up. So empowering different guys, trusting your teammates extra, attempting to speed up guys’ studying curve and play some good basketball. I feel that’s what individuals need to see.”
Brown needs to make the All-Defensive workforce, he’s mentioned extra just lately. He teased perhaps focusing extra on probably the most difficult defensive assignments whereas leaning on others round him for offense. The model the Celtics teased all through the preseason, extra motion, velocity and defensive aggressiveness, suited his strengths. Boston plans to method this season by using depth and a collective method over asking for extra from any particular person participant, and in keeping with Brown, Payton Pritchard expressed a willingness to proceed coming off the bench. Derrick White expressed that, throughout different moments of his profession, he put strain on himself to do extra and it didn’t go nicely. He’s centered on consistency this 12 months.
There’s an assuredness flowing from Brown today. He’s smiling extra, letting his guard down and utilizing new mediums like Twitch to precise his persona. He’ll even fire up some controversy often, poking at Knicks followers this week by revealing that Tom Thibodeau confirmed ways in which New York beat Boston throughout his follow go to. In the course of the now notorious media vs. coaches recreation, he watched above from the eating room, laughed on the carnage and requested after if anybody would do a post-game interview.
Brown hardly ever used to chit-chat with reviews and does so repeatedly now. He spent the summer time greeting followers for hours at numerous group occasions. He’s additionally telling it like it’s — there’s clearly much less expertise right here than lately, he mirrored this week. So that they needed to embrace a brand new play model whereas sustaining key sensibilities from all through his tenure. That’s the place the Celtics will depend on Brown, White and Pritchard to recreate defensive methods, ball management and different little issues that sustained the workforce’s competitiveness going again one decade.
“I feel the Celtic Approach that we’ve been capable of set up is unselfishness, versatility, having the ability to empower our guys to step up and really feel comfy sufficient that they are often themselves,“ Brown stated. ”Additionally, setting the tone on protection, ensuring that we proceed to keep up our effort on that, and simply taking part in exhausting. Enjoying exhausting, taking part in unselfish, taking part in quick. I really feel like that’s the id that we’re going to construct and we’re going to proceed to emphasise all through coaching camp, and I’m excited. We obtained some new faces, some new guys, some new power. Clearly, my teammates who’re now not with us I admire dearly. They helped carry us banner 18 and a championship, so I want them nicely on their subsequent part, however now we’re right here. This type of appears like a brand new period a bit, the place we obtained some new individuals and issues really feel a little bit completely different, however I really feel nice. I really feel very optimistic about this 12 months.”
Nonetheless, there are phrases and there are actions. Many groups discuss taking part in quick throughout coaching camp. The Celtics did it within the preseason. Persevering with to take action all 12 months will show to be a distinct problem. A Boston workforce that hardly ever misplaced during the last three seasons will accomplish that way more usually, and responding to every of them would require fortitude the workforce final wanted to flex within the 2023 East Finals after taking place by 0-3. You need to return to 2021 turning into 2022 to search out the final critical Celtics common season stumble.
The Celtics misplaced vital parts of their roster from final season. Pritchard acknowledged Tatum’s availability pressured them to present him the ball above the three-point arc, as a result of he’s a top-five participant. Kristaps Porziņģis’ recreation led to him catching the ball on the elbow usually whereas everybody spaced out. Brown plans to not assault head-on or play with a chip on his shoulder and as an alternative make the most of White, who averaged 7.5 assists per recreation within the preseason, Pritchard’s capacity to shoot and facilitate extra, together with sturdy three-point shooters remaining like Sam Hauser. He continues to emphasize being the neatest workforce, in keeping with Joe Mazzulla’s emphasis on a learn and advantage-based offense that’ll stay on the core of their system.
“I’ve been one of many high transition leaders the final 5, I don’t know what number of years,” Brown stated. “We gotta play quick, however we gotta play sensible on the identical time. That’s what we’re engaged on, constructing nice habits. We need to play with tempo, but additionally know what we’re doing after we’re taking part in at that tempo. So getting used to it, in order that we are able to suppose, suppose quick and make fast selections, and make the fitting reads even after we’re taking part in at that tempo.”
The reminiscence of Tatum falling in Recreation 7 of the East Finals and Brown forcing the difficulty an excessive amount of, turning it over eight occasions in a devastating dwelling loss turns into extra distant with every passing 12 months. You hear fewer left hand jokes. Brown will get off the ball sooner now, can manipulate a protection in his personal methods whereas taking part in with an urgency that’ll match the calculated dangers the Celtics need to take this season. It began with him not making it about himself.
And within the preseason, Boston completed second in defensive score, Anfernee Simons led the workforce in scoring and Brown took 7.7 photographs per recreation. A hamstring damage that pressured him to depart the finale final week left him questionable forward of opening evening, and this workforce can’t endure one other loss amongst it stars. However on that evening, White’s capturing and a Xavier Tillman Sr. floater pushed the workforce throughout the end line with a win.
“I really feel like prior to now, the skin voices, I’d be mendacity if I stated they didn’t encourage me, as a result of they did,” Brown stated. “At this part of my life, I’m unsure if I achieve motivation from that. I really feel like perhaps the narrative that now we have grown to see the one choice or regardless of the case could also be, to me, that’s by no means actually been a factor. I feel basketball isn’t like that. Folks that know the sport, it’s like every given evening, something can occur, and so forth. after which you could have primary choices on offense, however you even have primary choices on protection and stuff like that. We solely concentrate on the offensive facet of basketball, however what about protection? People who find themselves purists of the sport know the way necessary protection is. It’s equally as necessary as offense, if no more, however we solely care concerning the leisure, the step-backs and the offensive half, however primary choice has to do lots with protection as nicely.”
