Coming around for C’s Brown
It can be as easy as finding the right rhythm. And after struggling with fewer opportunities earlier in the season, Jaylen Brown’s most definitely got the beat.
Last night against the Pacers, he came off the bench for 22 points in 29 minutes as the Celtics punched out a 135-108 victory. It was his sixth time hitting the 20 barrier in the last 16 games after reaching it not once in his first 19.
He’s had a lot of good games in the last month,” coach Brad Stevens said, “and it’s not going to be the same every night. But I do think that guys know where their spots are and aren’t forcing the issue when they’re not there and taking them when they are.”
To Stevens’ point, it wasn’t there numerically for Brown on Monday when he had just four points on six shots in the manhandling of Brooklyn. But he did get five rebounds and four assists in his 24 minutes.
With last night’s 7-for-12 from the floor, he’s shot 55 percent over his last 10 games after batting just .407 in his first 25 and losing his starting job to Marcus Smart along the way.
When asked if there has been any trigger to get him into his groove, the smooth-for-22-years-old Brown replied, “Nah, just hoopin’.”
But there was more than that early on for him and others who were trying to fit into smaller roles with the return of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. There was pressin’ and shruggin’ and other such stuff.
“I think, one, is that we’ve all had to adjust,” said Irving when asked about Brown’s emergence. “So I think we all try to pinpoint one guy, and he hasn’t shot the ball as well or hasn’t had the opportunities as everyone else in certain situations, the minutes, regardless of whatever reasoning it is.
“But I think now it’s just the maturity of being out there and being comfortable with what he’s doing and understanding why he’s doing it. So stronger cuts, better passes, better offensive decisions — just things that you’ve got to mature as a player, being on a great team.
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Brown agreed that his significantly more comfortable now.
“I mean, yeah,” he said. “It’s just adapting. We’ve got a lot of players, a lot of pieces out there, so I’m trying to figure out who you are and where you fit into this team. It’s going to continue to change and things like that. You’ve just got to be patient and continue to work hard, and everything will fall in place.”
As for the keys to that, he said, “Your approach. Your mindset. You know, don’t make excuses, just come out and play hard and try to make the best of my situation regardless of what it is. Basketball is basketball.”
But it ain’t always easy to do as you know you must when you’re role is reduced.
“Oh, it’s difficult for anyone, and he’s handled it really well,” said Al Horford. “What I’ve noticed is that he’s really trying to figure out how he can be efficient and how he can make an impact.
“I think the focus is always on the defensive end, making sure that he’s playing great defensively. And on offense he’s starting to find himself. He’s starting to feel more comfortable. I think we all are. With the way that we’re playing, we all understand where are our shots are going to come from, the type of shots coach wants from us and being aggressive going to the basket. I think as a unit we’re starting to understand how coach wants us to play.”
Brown sort of shrugged it off.
“Just basketball. Just playing basketball — out there with my teammates, finding the right guys, making the right plays. That’s all it is,” he said, adding of the reserves, “We’re ready. We take advantage of every opportunity we can, and I think other teams know when we come out we’re looking to be aggressive, so we’ve got to keep up that mindset. It’s going to take pressure off the first unit and it’s going to help us overall continue to win games.”
And Brown will be helped by having the likes of Marcus Morris in the locker next to him.
“I talk to him,” Morris said. “I just tell him to keep his head and keep going. But at the end of the day, it’s a long season. He’s going to come around, just like everybody else is going to come around.
“I think everybody’s getting fewer opportunities than they got last year, so he has to figure it out, and I think, over time, most players with that type of talent do. Me, I’m a veteran. My adjustment is easy. I’m a team guy. It’s easy for me.”
And, with better understanding, it’s getting easier for Brown.