The Boston Celtics are heading back on the road Thursday to pay a visit to the Washington Wizards. According to the Celtics’ injury report, Jaylen Brown is doubtful to play in Washington due to a non-COVID illness.
If Brown can’t go on Thursday, it’ll be the first time the Celtics play a game without him all season -- a scenario that has sent chills down the spines of fans all around Boston anytime they’d even imagine it.
The 28-year-old Celtics forward has been integral to the team’s early-season success. He’s averaging a career-high 29 points per game, while shooting 49.9% from the field and 34.7% from beyond the arc. Not to mention he’s been a force on the glass with six rebounds per outing, and is setting his teammates up with 4.8 assists per night.
Jaylen Brown's potential absence will tell fans a lot about the Celtics' role players
More than anything, Brown has been this team’s motor. His inspired play has lifted a roster that had many experts skeptical to a 12-9 record through 21 games.
Whatever illness he’s dealing with likely won’t be a long-term issue, but this game against the Wizards will be a good sample of what to expect from a Brown-less Celtics team, if he does end up missing it.
Washington is a bad team, one of the worst, even. They sit dead last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 3-17. The only team with a worse winning percentage than them is the 3-19 New Orleans Pelicans.
The Celtics should be able to take care of business, with or without JB. If they don’t, then the fanbase’s worst fear will be confirmed to be true. Should Brown sustain a longer-term injury this year, then this fun start the Cs have had will be all for nothing.
They will lose games -- a lot of them, maybe all of them -- in the case that Brown misses extended time at any point this season.
“Health is key,” Brown told Hardwood Houdini last month. “You see a lot of guys getting injured going around the league and sitting out games. I want to play as many games as I possibly can. I had some injuries last year that kind of derailed me towards the end of the season. So, health was a big emphasis going into the year. Then, at the start of the season, going into the preseason, I had a hamstring strain. Not ideal, but the medical staff managed it well, and I think I’m getting over the hump.”
Brown has been mostly durable throughout his NBA career. Last season, he battled through a torn meniscus towards the end of the season and into the playoffs, but still only missed 19 games. The year prior, he missed just 12.
There aren’t any signs that should have fans believing that a nightmarish scenario is a likely one, but, again, if Brown misses Thursday’s game, they’ll be able to learn a lot about what they can expect if it comes true.