Jaylen Brown played his largest share of minutes in Game 5. In 26 minutes, he recorded 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
While he didn’t score, Brown filled the stat sheet in other categories, even making a highlight reel out-of-bounds save and pass to a streaking Avery Bradley.
Brown’s minutes have been inconsistent in this series against the Washington Wizards, but Game 5 marked a clear departure from Brad Stevens’ regular rotation as Brown was the first player off of the bench. A poor performance from Jae Crowder in Game 4 might have been the reason Stevens allocated more minutes to Brown.
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Don’t expect Brown to replace Crowder in the starting lineup as Crowder played an efficient 26 minutes, going 6 for 15 with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists in Game 5. However, Brown provides a young, athletic body who has the capability to create his own his shot, something Crowder hasn’t proven he can do.
MassLive quoted Al Horford speaking about Brown’s play in Game 5, “We were able to sustain it, and a big part of it — I feel like — nobody’s going to talk about him, but Jaylen Brown and his energy defensively, what he brought in the first and second quarter was huge for us. I think that sustained the intensity we had. I felt like he had a great game.”
The Celtics will need a productive Brown to close out the Wizards in Game 6 and if they advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. At 6’7″, with his athletic prowess, he has the ability to cover shooting guards and both forward positions.
Furthermore, his ability to drive to the basket takes offensive pressure off of Thomas and allows for other Celtics to see open shots. His 76.9% field goal percentage inside of 5 feet bests other bench players like Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier. Whether he is driving to the basket or grabbing an offensive rebound, Brown appears to have good, functional basketball strength to maneuver in mid-air and put the ball in the basket.
Next: Boston Celtics Learn to Win Without as Much Thomas
Lastly, since neither team in this series has won on the road, the Celtics stand a good chance at finishing off the Wizards as Game 7 is in Boston. Assuming they take care of business, Brown could be a valuable player against the Cavaliers. Just ask LeBron James, who took time in an early November matchup to compliment Brown on his strength and basketball IQ. Brad Stevens’ should take LeBron’s view on Brown with a grain of salt, but LeBron seems very competent at recognizing talent and building a team.