BOSTON — Paid millions of dollars to help the Boston Celtics win basketball games on one of the largest contracts in NBA history, Jaylen Brown’s game stretches far beyond the scoring column. He’s taken immense pride in his defense, made incredible strides as a playmaker, and his on and off-the-court leadership have been crucial to the Celtics’ success.
“I feel like my team relies on me to be the leader, the vocal leader,” Brown said via Bobby Manning of The Ringer. “I would say I’ve taken that role and defensively, being the head of the snake, taking on those matchups. My team feeds off that. It’s kind of understood, I guess.”
Brown wears a lot of masks in Boston, and at the root of everything, he’s a scorer. A professional bucket.
Jaylen Brown has turned scoring prowess into playmaking for the Celtics, taking on a new role in Boston
Heading into the Celtics’ 123-103 win over the Phoenix Suns, a night when the Celtics made NBA history from behind the three-point arc, setting the new single-season record for threes made (1,364 and counting), Brown did his damage inside the arc.
It’s a product of Brown’s talent but also the Celtics’ ability and willingness to play to the strengths of each individual on the team.
“I think it's just the guys have an understanding of each other,” Mazzulla said of Brown’s ability to slow the game down. “Each guy has a different set of strengths. We spend a lot of time communicating to each other what the strengths of each guy are, and I think we lean into the fact that when he has the ball in certain situations, we need to give him driving lane some space to be able to attack. And so, it's just the guys having an understanding of how they can impact each other.”
Brown shot 3-of-4 from deep range, but he also notched a 7-of-12 showing on twos. Brown methodically picked apart the Suns’ defense, utilizing screens, attacking mismatches, and working in the post at his own pace. He even showed off an impressive pick-and-roll game with Luke Kornet during the early stages of the fourth quarter.
Throughout his career, Brown has crafted an elite offensive game, expanding his skill set at every turn. His latest challenge has been a lingering knee issue. Brown was questionable to play against the Suns was upgraded to available shortly before tip-off.
In Tuesday’s loss to the Miami Heat, despite a solid performance, it was clear that the knee was bothering him. “I was in some pain today, but you know, just pushing through it,” he said after that game. “Trying to find ways to still be aggressive and add value to the team and stuff like that, but it's just something I got to work through and manage.”
Highlighted by his impressive showing against Phoenix, Brown has used his injury as a learning process.
“I learned that I have a lot of skill. My skill level is high,” Brown said. “As you seen tonight, no dunks, no transition points, like what I'm used to doing. I was probably leading the league in transition points over this season, or top five at least. I don't think I had [any] transition points tonight, and I can still affect [and] score in the game in multiple ways. I haven't always displayed that. And this year, I haven't displayed it as much.
“I'm athletic, I get to the paint, I draw two, make the defense collapse, and we got shooters all around, but I can hit shots, I can shoot the ball, I can get to my spots, I can score different ways, and stuff like that. So, just emphasizing that, and I think that could be a good thing. Reminding myself that, not only are you athletic, but you got a high skill level as well. So, utilize that.”
Since the Celtics have assembled their current roster, Brown has taken on a much different role, and it’s changed year over year, too. Last season, he was dominating in transition and focusing on his two-man game with Kristaps Porzingis. This year, he’s been slowly finding his niche within the offense.
He’s utilized his post skills more, slowed down the pace of the game in the half-court, and continued his progression as a playmaker.
And in his eyes, that last point is the most important. Brown has been so great at slowing down the game, and he’s finally translating that into playmaking.
“Just experience,” Brown said of how he’s improved at slowing the game down. “My role has changed a lot over the years. I feel like this year, making plays for others, I don't think we've needed me to score the ball this year. Obviously, scoring is something that I do, and that's probably my best quality, but I've really tried to emphasize making plays for others on my team all season long, and I think that's what our team has needed.
“They didn't need another guy that just comes down and just tries to score every time he touches it. So, I've made that emphasis this year, and it's been somewhat of a sacrifice, to some degree.”
Up to this point in his career, Brown has been score-first, pass-second. His playmaking has improved drastically over the years, but this season has been different.
He only had three assists against the Suns, but his impact as a connector and offensive initiator stretched far beyond that single number. (He’s averaging a career-high 4.6 assists this season.)
It’s a new role, but one he’s been more than ready to embrace.
“That's just different from any role I've had in the Celtics uniform, but I've worn it with a badge of honor,” Brown said. “I feel like I've improved a lot in that area. So, I've made myself a better basketball player. And I feel like we've had some great years by a lot of our guys that have been around.
“So, [I’m] looking forward to continuing to empower guys in the playoffs, and it's all about team. It's not all about me.”