Early in his NBA profession, Jaylen Brown was largely seen as a participant who could be a part of the Boston Celtics’ long-term success, quite than a pillar of its basis.
When big-name stars would turn into obtainable throughout free company, Brown was usually a possible commerce chip.
As he prepares for his eighth season, his play has compelled the narrative to be rewritten.
Last season was defining for Brown, who garnered his second All-Star choice and second-team All-NBA nod whereas serving to lead the Celtics inside a sport of back-to-back NBA Finals appearances.
In July he cashed in signing a five-year, $304 million extension, the richest contract in NBA historical past. It instantly thrust him onto a tier reserved for under the league’s most elite stars.
It comes with expectations and a weight that Brown has but to expertise. Not because the No. 3 general draft choose in 2016, and even as a teammate of four-time All-Star and teammate Jayson Tatum. But on a new-look Celtics’ roster that has misplaced a few of its loudest locker room voices, Brown says he’s prepared and prepared to be the playmaker and chief the Celtics must take advantage of their present championship window.
“I feel great. I feel poised. I feel ready to have a great year,” Brown stated. “I put in a lot of work trying to make plays, trying to get guys open. Trying to get our offense set. Seeing the game, reading the game. Overall, just being a better basketball player. Can’t wait to show it this year.”
In addition to locking up Brown long-term, Boston dramatically remade its core this offseason, flipping former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon and rim protector Robert Williams III in a collection of trades that netted 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis and defensive stalwart Jrue Holiday.
This all whereas second-year coach Joe Mazzulla shook up his teaching workers, bringing in assistants Charles Lee and Sam Cassell to assist put Mazzulla’s stamp on the crew in his second season.
It has required a reset of the locker room tradition and known as for brand new voices to step up. For most of their careers Brown and Tatum have been largely content material to let their play communicate for them. But Brown acknowledges that this new group will want their voices to be louder than ever.
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Still, his method to this new crew dynamic will probably be easy.
“Just stepping into it,” Brown stated. “I think we’ve got a lot of voices that are no longer with us — Blake (Griffin), Grant (Williams), Smart. All very vocal guys. So, I think, definitely, hearing my voice, JT’s voice a little bit more this season.”
It’s what’s going to assist flip a set of expertise right into a formidable crew.
“Can’t just throw some guys out there and expect everything to work. Our habits are going to create our future and our success,” Brown stated. “I’m excited about the journey.”
Last season, Brown averaged profession highs in factors (26.6), rebounds (6.9) and assists (3.5). The identical is true for Tatum (30.1 factors, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists).
Yet each ought to profit from the defensive size and talent to stretch supplied by Porzingis and the protection and ground command Holiday brings.
Neither Brown nor Tatum will even need to facilitate as a lot on offense with Holiday’s confirmed capability to create for his teammates.
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Still, there’ll probably be an odd man out at occasions with a prime six that includes Brown, Tatum, Porzingis, Holiday, Derrick White and veteran Al Horford who’re all used to garnering a certain quantity of taking part in time.
It’s downside to have, Tatum insists.
“Essentially we’ve probably got six starters and we can only play five people. Only five guys can finish a game,” Tatum stated. “So, between those six guys, any given night somebody might come off the bench. Somebody might not finish. And it’s on all of us to understand that whoever’s night it is, it’s for the better of the team. And we really have to buy into that. It’s not easy sacrificing, but at some point we all have to do it.”
It’s a view shared by Mazzulla.
“We’re all going to have to give up little pieces of ourselves until we got to where we want to get to,” he stated.
