C’s Brown jumps back into action
Set to start season after battling COVID
NEW YORK — Different players make use of their time in health and safety protocol differently. Jaylen Brown naturally turned it into a quest.
Painfully aware of Jayson Tatum’s respiratory struggles, and his need for an inhaler after coming back last season, Brown focused on his breathing while doing extensive meditation exercises.
“It depends on the day. Some could be hours, some could be 30 minutes or less,” Brown said after Wednesday’s shootaround at Madison Square Garden. “It just depends on what my schedule is for that day, things I have to do.”
It also appears to have worked now that Brown was pronounced fit to start in Wednesday night’s season opener against the Knicks, after missing the last three games of exhibition season while in quarantine from a positive COVID test.
Al Horford, who tested positive four days after Brown, remains in protocol, though according to Celtics coach Ime Udoka, “he’s feeling good. Gotta go through the timeline and the protocols but we’re hoping to have him back soon and he’s feeling good, just like Jaylen was before he got back.”
From what Udoka can tell, Brown’s conditioning is remarkable after two days of workouts, including some 4-on-4 scrimmaging Tuesday.
“Probably shorter stints overall,” Udoka said of Brown’s initial minutes ration. “But we’ll talk about his minutes in the rotation when he’s feeling good. Looks good, looks like he’s in great shape for being out that long, but he’ll be ready to go tonight.”
Brown said he developed mild symptoms, naturally with his greatest concerns involving breathing.
“I had to really focus to get my breathing kind of back to normal.” he said. “That was kind of the most concerning thing to me. But the more focused on it, the better I was able to gain more efficiency in it. But, for the most part, mild symptoms. Nothing too concerning.”
Brown talked to Tatum about the latter’s struggles, and his repeated need for an inhaler. Brown will now have an inhaler available to him during games.
“Everybody’s body is different, so hopefully it doesn’t take me as long as it took Jayson,” said Brown. “But talking to him, he had to use an inhaler. They have one available for me if I need one, but hopefully I won’t have to use it. But we’ll see.
“I feel pretty good for the most part. Just coming off being in quarantine and ramping the intensity level, there’s obviously concerns, risk of injury, and things like that. Some of the coaches are concerned it might be too soon, just because this is the NBA, etc. But we’ll see how I feel tonight, later on. We’ll see how I feel a little bit later on, but for now I think it’s still gonna be questionable, until it’s a gametime decision.”
And now for the rampingup process.
“I think it’s a combination of working with the team and them also trusting me with what I tell them about my body, for sure,” said Brown. “There’s concerns from both ends, just it’s a high level of intensity, New York is a physical team, etc. Coming in I’ve only had 24 hours, really, to prepare. But I told them we’ll see. I’ve been playing basketball for six years now. I know this game in and out. I know how to pick and choose my spots. So they trust me. But I told them we’ll see, do some more tests maybe later, and we’ll make a game-time decision.”
Brown remembers Kemba
After hearing that Kemba Walker had said a day earlier that he didn’t know why he was traded, Brown added that he, too, didn’t see that one coming.
“That was a surprise to all of us. I think Kemba’s a great teammate. For sure he was a great guy, a great person,” said Brown. “Obviously, what the front office does is what the front office does, but it was such a joy having Kemba around. For me, he was one of the people I drew inspiration from.
“Things I learned when Kemba was here, I added to my game,” he said. “He was always somebody who, despite circumstances, despite however I felt, he was always somebody that was just like ‘be patient, you’re fine, your time is coming, etc.’ He was always that person in my ear giving me motivation. He was always that person who was trying to put a smile on my face, telling me, like, ‘it’s not that serious,’ making jokes because I can get pretty intense. But Kemba was a great guy and a great friend to me, like an older brother. So I definitely miss him. I miss his energy around, I think it was a surprise for everybody, but crazier things have happened in this league. So, sometimes what is a surprise to everyone is a surprise to none. I wish Kemba the best on his journey, I know he still has a lot in the tank, and I’m excited for him playing in his hometown. I wish a guy like him nothing but the best.”
Williams gets a start
As evidence that a good training camp can do wonders for a young player, Grant Williams started at power forward against the Knicks in something of a placeholder adjustment until Horford returns.
“He’s been consistent, he’s very versatile, he covers a lot of different areas for us, can guard bigs and smalls, and is a guy that has been here,” said Udoka. “With him, it’s a matter of being consistent. He showed us that this preseason and in training camp, and with Al out, he’s a guy that does a lot of similar things. Can initiate some offense, shoot the ball, as well as guard multiple positions so with some of the schemes we’re doing defensively, he fits right in.” … Josh Richardson missed the Knicks game with a migraine, according to the team. According to Udoka, the headache worsened during the day, and Richardson was eventually told to go back to the hotel.