A year ago, Jaylen Brown entered the postseason playing through a partially torn meniscus in his right knee. He missed eight of the Boston Celtics' last 16 games. After Mar. 12, he didn't log more than 30 minutes in a matchup until the playoffs got underway. In the summer, the former Finals MVP underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure.
Fast forward, and a healthy Brown inserted his name into the MVP conversation. He led Boston to 56 wins and the second seed in the Eastern Conference. With Jayson Tatum back from his Achilles tear and already playing at an impressive level, the Celtics, in this author's opinion, are the favorites in the Eastern Conference. They are a legitimate title contender.
"I'm very grateful to be here," said Brown after Wednesday's practice at the Auerbach Center. "You don't always get promised to be on a 50-win team heading into the playoffs. So, it's been a luxury here being able to be a part of that, being part of a few teams that have gone into playoffs with that type of momentum."
Jaylen Brown enters the playoffs free of expectations
The five-time All-Star is coming off a regular season where he appeared in 71 games, the third-most in his 10-year career. It's the most he has played while averaging at least 26 minutes.
Along with being an iron man, Brown generated a career-best 28.7 points and 5.1 assists per contest. His 6.9 rebounds per tilt matched the most he has averaged in a season. He also knocked down 47.7 percent of the shots he hoisted. He ranked third in the NBA in total points [2,038], led the league in drives, and produced the second-most points off of them. It was a campaign deserving of a spot on the All-NBA First Team.
However, Brown enters the playoffs with a larger goal in mind. As he helps lead Boston's pursuit of another banner, he's grateful to be in a healthier spot than he was last postseason. At that time, walking was a chore. Now, he is ready to showcase the growth that came with a year spent demonstrating what he could do while shouldering more responsibility.
"I feel a lot different than I did going into last year, mentally and physically," said Brown. "So, I'm grateful for that. It's still going to be a journey in itself. I don't have any expectations. My expectation is to come out and just be as best I can for my team every single night."
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