The Jaylen Brown-Kevin Durant commerce saga seems to be within the rear view for now. Multiple reports indicate conversations between the Celtics and Nets never reached a serious point as coaching camp looms, and it’s onerous to think about the franchise’s focus will stay fixated on the potential of greener grass as soon as its personal gamers take the courtroom.
The Celtics sat in an enviable, albeit awkward, place over the past month the place their practically unmatched potential to contend for Durant may bolster a group that already made the Finals. If the value stood too excessive, they may pivot again to a burgeoning trio of Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams III and Brown alongside three excellent guards. The group’s fortunes will now be tied to how a lot better Brown can turn out to be and possibly extra importantly, how lengthy he’ll keep.
Brown’s coming into his prime in his seventh NBA season, two seasons from free company, with just a few corrections on the edges of his recreation to sq. away. He’s nearing All-NBA standing and — because the final yr’s postseason progressed — confirmed he’s not too far off from Tatum at his finest. That “my flip, your flip” dynamic settled in favor of Tatum expanding his playmaking and Brown embracing a finishing role. Brown targeted on scoring and Tatum did all of it, turning Boston’s season round. There’s nonetheless room for Brown to enhance and sneak into the highest of the league’s hierarchy together with his teammate. It might be key to holding him in Boston long-term, discovering extra of his potential in tandem with Tatum. He’s at all times recognized he’s able to extra.
“All-around, the issues he does, the flexibility he offers us on the defensive finish is what it’s, I feel that trickles down with Marcus and our massive wings,” Ime Udoka stated. “He’s been stable there and he’s one of many guys who has most likely needed to restructure what he did as a defender. He’s normally a man that locks in on an project on-ball, off-ball and form of takes that man out the place we’re asking for extra communication and he’s one of many guys that has improved all through the season so far as that. Offensively … his playmaking potential and his scoring for himself. I feel (Sport 3 of the Finals) was one in every of his finest video games of getting guys organized into spots he wished, get our spacing appropriate after which attacking from there … one, two dribbles and discovering guys everywhere in the courtroom. That progress, in addition to Jayson, was a giant level of emphasis coming into the season.”
For Brown to turn out to be tremendous max eligible, he’d have to sign an extension with the Celtics next summer and make All-NBA, win MVP or score Defensive Player of the Year honors the following year in 2023-24. There’s some enchancment wanted for him to interrupt by way of that may begin now, notably within the ball management class. The league’s incentive construction is constructed across the elite gamers within the recreation. Tatum himself missed tremendous max standing (and $25.2 million) by lacking All-NBA in 2020-21. Brown signed his final contract for just under the max, subjecting him to a 120% raise if he extends this summer. The designated veteran extension turns into out there subsequent yr, so he’ll understand how shut he’s to that threshold.
Brown may enhance what would begin as an roughly five-year, $248.8 million extension right into a $290.3 million mega-deal, over $100 million greater than he may signal for with a brand new group in free company. It’s a critical benefit the Celtics would profit from if he positions himself to earn all that he can. He’s have already got to a point, with 2022 probably the most persistently concerned he’s ever been within the offense — averaging 24.2 factors on 18.8 pictures every night time after his damage. His 60.2 touches per recreation had been up from 56.9 the yr earlier than and 49.0 in 2020.
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Photograph by Elsa/Getty Pictures
Brown completed with three All-NBA Third Crew votes, fifteenth amongst NBA gamers with LeBron James and Pascal Siakam finally scoring these honors at ahead. Siakam’s presence offers Brown hope, as one other participant whose identify has floated in commerce rumors earlier than he discovered his footing subsequent to a fellow star in Fred VanVleet and scored a profession season at 27-years-old; he shot 49.4% from the sphere, averaged 22.8 factors per recreation, grabbed 8.5 rebounds and dished 5.3 assists per recreation.
The returns of Kawhi Leonard (All-NBA 2019-2021), Anthony Davis (2018, 2020), Zion Williamson (second runner-up in 2021 behind Tatum) and Paul George (2018-19, 2021) from damage may crowd the ahead subject whereas Jimmy Butler (2020-21), Durant (2016-19, 2022) and James (2005-2022) ought to stay within the combine. After Giannis Antetokounmpo (2017-22), DeMar DeRozan (2017-18, 2022) and Tatum, there’s a window for Brown to interrupt by way of within the subsequent yr or two alongside Brandon Ingram, Khris Middleton and Desmond Bane. These are the one forwards to look in voting on the place since 2018-19.
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The kids are coming although. Count on Anthony Edwards to look as quickly as this yr. Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes may, too, and whereas unlikely, a rookie like Paolo Banchero or Chet Holmgren may get within the combine by 2024.
Third Crew guards usually want near 24.0 PPG, Tatum scored 23.4 PPG in 2020, whereas Siakam and Butler squeezed in with nearer to twenty.0 PPG on account of larger all-around numbers. Each averaged over 6.0 RPG, a mark Brown met final yr. Most All-NBA forwards over the previous 4 years averaged roughly 4-5 APG, or extra. Tatum (2020), Leonard (2019), George (2018), Siakam (2020) and LaMarcus Aldridge (2018) had been uncommon exceptions just lately.
Siakam’s wide-ranging affect is one Brown is aspiring to achieve. Brown averaging 23.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG and three.5 APG on 47.3% taking pictures whereas solely ending with 66 video games on account of a nagging hamstring ailment he admittedly got here again too quickly from. Brown targeted on playmaking coming into the season, gaining the chance to guide bench models and the group as a complete by way of a winter COVID surge.
The outcomes had been combined. A December win over the Pacers displaying his finest as a playmaker within the clutch. He additionally led a comeback effort towards Orlando with 50 factors.
“I feel I’ve made leaps,” Brown instructed CelticsBlog in December. “That’s one thing that I’ve watched this summer time and actually tried to enhance at. I haven’t had as many alternatives to be in these roles the place I’m the one setting the tone, normally I’m on the receiving finish attempting to attain. As I proceed to seek out alternative ways on this group to be a risk and to be aggressive, having the ball, bringing it up, operating pick-and-rolls, discovering guys is one thing I really feel snug with.”
He continued to go on stretches of scoring explosions that rival practically any participant, reaching their pinnacle when he bounces round screens to hit successive threes that progressively increase the amount in TD Backyard. There’s no response fairly just like the Boston crowd’s to Brown’s runs — they virtually want their very own nickname.
Brown went on one in every of them to begin the third quarter of Sport 2 towards the Nets, following his driving layup to complete the primary half with a drive-and-kick to Al Horford for 3, taking pictures to the highest of the important thing two performs later to strip Kyrie Irving and bumping him out of the best way to attract foul on the best way to a transition basket. He despatched Tatum out for a dunk performs later after stealing the ball from Durant with Boston discovering itself again inside two factors lower than 5 minutes after they trailed by 10.
Subsequent quarter, after already tying the sport at 92 with an acrobatic layup, Brown hit a pull-up three to place Boston up by a number of possessions and ship the Backyard right into a frenzy. He averaged 22.2 PPG on 48.4% taking pictures by way of the primary two postseason rounds, undoubtedly helped by the stress defenses ship away from him at Tatum, then taking over the position of carrying the offense by way of dry spells within the later rounds.
His 40 factors stored Sport 3 towards the Warmth shut till the closing seconds. In Sport 6, because the Warriors sped towards a championship following a 21-0 run, he put his head down and made them sweat all the second half in a 34-point effort. He improved to 23.8 PPG within the Japanese Convention Finals and NBA Finals. Dribbling and tightening his protection as much as an elite stage are two factors that would make him extra environment friendly and improve his scoring and passing output.
Brown typically bristled at questions concerning his ball management final yr, understandably throughout a postseason run the place Tatum and Sensible turned possessions over at larger charges. He emphasised taking part in aggressively, which might assist break the offense open at its most stagnant factors, however he additionally started the season with extra turnovers than assists with a 1:1 ratio within the last two postseason rounds. When the purpose of the double groups Tatum drew got here up, Brown would emphasize he additionally attracts further stress from defenses.
“I’m being myself,” Brown stated in March. “Two back-to-back video games the place the ball was transferring. I didn’t have one help. Folks may’ve acquired on me about that earlier within the season, however taking part in the sport the precise means, drawing doubles, making the precise performs and the ball is falling within the internet. So persevering with to be ourselves and play the precise means and getting good group wins, and simply taking what the sport offers you. You’ll be able to’t management that groups are guarding you sure methods, you’ve simply acquired to play basketball and that’s what we’re doing.”
A few of Brown’s progress will stem from acknowledgement of the holes in his recreation. He already made some by taking part in nearer to the basket, making himself out there for passes extra typically and bending the protection with up-fakes. Ime Udoka and Brown spent vital time collectively one-on-one throughout the COVID surge, breaking down video games and attempting to deliver his playmaking to the following stage.
Then, he closed the season scoring 25 or extra factors in 10 straight video games, averaging 28.5 PPG on 55.7% taking pictures from late March into April. Brown dished practically two assists for each turnover. All of it got here collectively, because it has in spurts, and three.8 APG over the ultimate 53 video games would’ve been his profession excessive.
There’s a world the place James, Durant and DeRozan decline decrease or out of the All-NBA hierarchy fully, Brown edges out Siakam and massive scoring totals sneak him into an All-NBA Third Crew slot subsequent yr. The Clippers’ forwards could not play sufficient video games, making it all of the extra vital Brown stays on the ground himself and hammers down a few of the defensive miscues that plagued him final season.
The Celtics have emphasised a scorching begin and few have been higher than Brown at these, each in-game and to begin seasons. He led the league in factors early within the 2020 marketing campaign, one other one in every of his scorching runs.
With a full season nearer to that manufacturing, he’ll be tougher pressed to say no what might be a historic contract from the Celtics. Then, the franchise could have extra hope than ever of holding its younger duo collectively for a lot of this decade.
