What is the Boston Celtics closing lineup?

Jaylen Brown

Entering just his second year, the Celtics are looking for Brown to make big strides this year.

“Jaylen has to become a lock-down defender for us,” Stevens said via The Vertical Podcast with Chris Mannix. “That’s where, as you go into an offseason and you are an individual player, there’s a ton of things that you want to get better at, and there’s a ton of things you want to add to your game, but ultimately, when you get back to your team, it’s what do you do that’s different to make your team unique to give yourself the best chance of adding value to winning.”

If Brown does in fact become that sort of defender, Boston will have two great defenders on the court (Smart) to go along with offensive threats in Irving and Hayward. Horford is the best two-way player of the group, averaging a combined 2.3 blocks and steals per game and shooting 47 percent from the field last year.

The only doubt about putting Brown in that fifth spot is the fact that Stevens notoriously plays his reliable veterans over young prospects. When the Celtics were “rebuilding,” Stevens always played his best guys even while some fans wanted to tank for draft picks and player development.

Still, Brown is the most likely option if the Celtics go small. A small-ball lineup featuring Irving, Smart, Hayward, Horford and Brown would be versatile both offensively and defensively.