Media Day seemed a bit totally different for the Boston Celtics this 12 months. Final 12 months, the Celtics needed to reply questions on a devastating loss to the Miami Warmth within the 2023 Jap Convention Finals. This 12 months, they needed to reply questions on defending their title. Final 12 months, Celtics followers have been reconciling Kristaps Porzingis sporting a Celtics uniform as an alternative of Marcus Good. This 12 months, the Celtics carry again their whole championship core. Final 12 months, there have been questions on who would fill the emotional management position that Marcus Good left behind. This 12 months Celtics know who their emotional chief is: Jaylen Brown.
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Photograph by Joe Murphy/NBAE through Getty Photographs
From the second Jaylen Brown signed his supermax extension final offseason, he has been direct and purposeful about filling the void left behind after the Marcus Good commerce. When Jaylen was requested about final 12 months’s offseason strikes, his reply was pointed; his focus was on the defensive finish of the court docket.
“I believe what Kristaps can carry to us defensively and the additions a few of our different guys can carry to us defensively, I wish to ensure that’s the place we dangle our hats this 12 months. And that begins with me, that begins with Jayson…with Marcus gone, we don’t need our defensive id to exit the door as nicely, so we have now to essentially emphasize that at the beginning of coaching camp.”
It’s straightforward to speak about elevating your defensive depth within the offseason. Jaylen adopted up theoe feedback with the most effective defensive season of his profession. It’s one factor to steer by instance, and it’s one other to empower your teammates and instill them with confidence. Whether or not it’s his long-time companion in crime Jayson Tatum or, on the time, new addition in Xavier Tillman, Jaylen has achieved his greatest to share his confidence together with his teammates. After a down Sport 2 towards the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jaylen was caught on an mic’d up section hyping up his celebrity teammate:
Jayson Tatum would go on to have an enormous bounce-back efficiency to the tune of 33 factors, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists.
One of many huge moments of the Finals was the three-pointer that Xavier Tillman hit in Sport 3. I’ve lengthy been a sceptic of Tillman’s three-point capturing capability. Not Jaylen Brown. Within the days main as much as Sport 3, Jaylen had taken notice of the work Tillman was placing into his three-point capturing in his post-practice exercises, and got here to Tillman with a message:
“Hey, you’re gonna get your alternative, I really feel it. I’m gonna swing it to you. Let it fly. Bro, let it fly. I see you place within the work. I belief you.”
At Media Day when Eddie Home requested Jaylen about that go to Tillman for the three-pointer, Jaylen smiled as he remembered — he knew what was coming when he made that kick out go to Tillman.
“I knew it was good earlier than he even (shot). When you see my physique language once I handed it to him, I kinda begin nearly working again.”
Throughout Jaylen’s media classes, his unwavering emphasis on the workforce echoed loud and clear.
When requested in regards to the selflessness that Jayson and Jaylen performed with final season, Brown mentioned, “that’s part of our fashion. It’s part of the tradition that we constructed. Taking part in the sport the proper approach. Utilizing each facet of our workforce, to assist uplift the entire group”.
When requested what the important thing could be to maintain their success with out Kristaps Porzingis early within the season, he mentioned, “I’m on the lookout for guys to take steps ahead. You already know, guys which were right here, been a part of the system, attempt to push them to be higher variations of themselves. That’s thrilling. And as a pacesetter. Attempt to carry that out of all people. Simply ensure that all of the items of the ship are simply shifting easily.”
When questioned about his outlook for the upcoming season, Jaylen as soon as extra credited his teammates for his confidence. “I’m excited. We bought an ideal group of men, an ideal workforce chemistry, an ideal locker room, we simply gotta take it at some point at a time and see the place we go from there. Nevertheless it’s been an honor being round a few of these guys for X quantity of years. So I’m wanting ahead to this journey due to the fellows I get to share the locker room with.”
After listening to Jaylen’s feedback from Media Day, it’s laborious to not really feel able to run by means of a wall for him. Jaylen has all the time been motivated to excel individually, and his steady enchancment has seen him surpass even the loftiest expectations. Nonetheless, what’s inspiring about his mindset for the upcoming season is his capability to attract motivation from the success of his teammates.
It’s not shocking that as Jaylen strikes by means of the prime of his profession, he’s extra prepared and in a position to tackle the accountability of main the workforce. It’s been 5 years since there was a repeat NBA champion; repeating is tough. But, with Jaylen Brown taking up the position of emotional and non secular chief, Celtics followers ought to really feel extraordinarily assured about their possibilities to be the primary repeat champion in half a decade.
