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Jaylen Brown stared throughout the press convention room, requested about his future with the Celtics — and paused. He paused for almost 15 seconds, attempting to determine how one can reply the query earlier than largely dismissing it.
“Take it at some point at a time, give attention to getting higher, give attention to what the long run holds and we’ll see the place we’re from there,” Brown stated. “I suppose. I don’t actually know how one can reply that.”
The Celtics should quickly reply the identical query themselves. The $295-million query.
A surprising Sport 7 and essentially the most consequential poor efficiency of Brown’s profession added to the burden of uncertainty that he shouldered all 12 months. Brown invited it, creating cheap doubt about his dedication to the Celtics in varied interviews and expressing some frustration along with his function. The remainder of it stemmed from Boston’s reported pursuit of Kevin Durant final summer time.
“It’s laborious coming into groups and organizations and being heat. They function on totally different rules, I believe. This is a company. They have a look at it as a enterprise, the place they’ll let you know one factor, after which behind closed doorways, they’ll say one other, and so they’ll commerce you off,” Brown told The Ringer, an interview he later disputed, however by no means clarified afterwards. “Let you know, ‘we love you,’ and so they’ll be having like, ‘we’re going to commerce him subsequent week.’ I believe that’s simply how enterprise is run.”
A profession season the place Brown reached All-NBA Second Workforce alongside one other First Workforce look for Jayson Tatum ought to’ve cemented the pair’s standing as the perfect duo within the recreation. As an alternative, one other disappointing playoff exit created extra doubt about their capacity to constantly complement one another and what profitable seems like round them into the long run — notably in a tighter NBA wage cap surroundings. The Celtics will in all probability develop into a second apron group by 2024-25, pressured to surrender its mid-level exception and a number of other different team-building instruments.
Boston additionally appeared drained by the top of its playoff run with followers relieved as a lot as devastated that the erratic season concluded. Al Horford acknowledged a bodily worn down group, having performed six video games towards Atlanta, pressured to make a comeback down 2-3 to beat the 76ers then falling behind 0-3 towards the Warmth. A virtually unbeatable group from early within the common season achieved impeccable postseason well being till the ultimate video games, ones they by no means ought to’ve confronted if not for self-inflicted turmoil they battled all through the spring.
“We had quite a bit happening this 12 months,” Horford instructed CLNS Media/CelticsBlog. “Our guys ought to maintain their heads excessive, as a result of we had loads of adversity. In that locker room, we handled loads of issues and our group was very skilled all 12 months, labored actually laborious and it’s disappointing we didn’t get our outcomes. We failed. We failed as a result of we needed to win a championship. That was our aim. However regardless of that, I’m very pleased with that group as a result of there was by no means any excuse … we’ve to have a look at it, all people will have a look at it individually and I’m certain our administration will assess issues, and we’ll go from there.”
The central evaluation the Celtics will make facilities round how a lot weight Brown and Tatum can carry for a roster that’ll develop into more and more reliant on them. Brown’s Sport 7 shortcomings shined an inordinate but needed have a look at what Boston beneath his watch alone would appear like.
When Tatum took management of the offense in 2021, Brown wanted to adapt to a extra complementary role he sometimes lamented yet accepted. He thrived whereas attacking into 2022-23, changing into an All-NBA scorer. In help of Tatum, although, his play wavered, notably when Tatum exited video games. Brown turned the ball over eight occasions in Sport 7, the worst night time offensively for the Celtics all season, after spending the collection attempting to determine how one can assault Miami’s protection individually.
The Celtics’ internet ranking declined 6.2 factors per 100 possessions with Brown on the ground this season, ending within the twenty first percentile of NBA gamers. That mirrored how Boston capsized whereas Tatum sat and the group tried to depend on Brown to generate offense. Tatum’s on-off internet ranking completed at +4.7 (78th %tile), in accordance with Cleansing the Glass. Boston scored 7.5 extra factors per 100 possessions in Tatum’s time on the ground (ninety fifth %tile).
“It’s extraordinarily essential (to maintain Brown),” Tatum instructed CLNS/CelticsBlog when requested about their partnership. “He’s among the best gamers on this league, performs each ends of the ball and remains to be comparatively younger, and he’s achieved quite a bit to date in his profession, so I believe it’s extraordinarily essential.”
It’s laborious to think about how a duo that has rivaled the Bulls’ Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant with the frequency of their high-scoring nights in tandem has reached that time of unemphatic help for enjoying alongside each other. These prior twosomes despised one another at occasions, however discovered a technique to win championships — maybe an argument in favor of persistence.
But Brown sounded fixated on propping himself up of their dynamic all year long. Tatum responded much less enthused when requested about discovering Brown extra usually via his scorching streaks. “We search for the perfect shot,” he usually stated.
“Every recreation is totally different,” Tatum instructed CLNS/CelticsBlog. “It’s in all probability somewhat laborious to reply that query. We’re attempting to create house and alternative for everyone … discover whoever’s open. (He’s) one among our greatest gamers, we would like him to be aggressive, we want him to be aggressive and that’s on him, it’s on us and it’s on all people to ensure we’re placing every individual in the perfect spot to achieve success.”
Two years in the past, the Jazz re-signed Rudy Gobert 31.44% of the cap slightly than the 35% his Defensive Participant of the Yr standing commanded. Stevens might hope for a similar with the punitive nature of the brand new collective bargaining settlement, however Brown’s All-NBA season could possibly be the next hurdle than Gobert’s DPoY if the Celtics are hoping for a hometown low cost.
Boston can provide him lower than the supermax whereas nonetheless vastly exceeding the roughly $197.3 million another group can provide him after a trade-and-extend or the $248.8 million as a free agent in that situation. But for the Celtics, they achieve little from a cap sense by lowballing him. It’s virtually all or nothing.
“We’ll see how they really feel about me over time and I really feel about them over time,” Brown instructed The Ringer earlier this 12 months. “Hopefully, no matter it’s, it is smart. However I’ll keep the place I’m needed. I’ll keep the place I’m wanted and handled right.”
Brown’s non-committal strategy befits a persona lengthy immune to being boxed in. We all know Brown has different pursuits and priorities. He talked about his enterprise and social justice objectives in each the New York Times and Ringer interviews, together with Boston’s racist status. All may lead him away from the Celtics — and it’s essential either side handle that now.
“I’ve had nothing however nice conversations with Jaylen,” Brad Stevens stated. “I can say, indisputably, we would like Jaylen to be right here and he’s a giant a part of us and I’m grateful for him … Jaylen had an ideal 12 months, All-NBA 12 months and he’s a giant a part of us shifting ahead in our eyes.”
Brown continued rising via the top of the season, displaying a classy collection of step-through strikes, contact from two-point vary and the energy and steadiness to knock the sport’s greatest rim protectors off their spot and easily end. Off the courtroom, his pursuit of social progress displays the legendary Invoice Russell’s advocacy. Seeing him develop into the human he aspires to develop into proved as thrilling because the participant.
On the courtroom, Brown rivaled Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James because the league’s greatest transition gamers. His aggressiveness and urgency typically marked higher tone-setters than Tatum’s deliberate strategy. However Tatum’s the superior dribbler, passer and well-rounded offensive participant, positioning Brown because the No. 2 for the remainder of his profession right here.
When the Celtics named Ime Udoka head coach in 2021, his first priority was getting Brown and Tatum to play together. They recorded 30 factors every in the identical recreation twelve occasions beneath his tenure and improved to 23-1 after doing it twice towards the Hawks in Spherical 1. They didn’t do it once more for the remainder of the postseason.
With Boston eradicated and the Nuggets on the verge of their first championship, It’s laborious to not evaluate them to Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić as they rapidly develop into the league’s most dominant duo, all on show in The Finals. Brown and Tatum can play collectively. That’s what the second most effective offense within the common season and the accolades that adopted proves.
Nonetheless, the historical past of playoff losses, upcoming issues about monetary flexibility, and no matter appeared off all through this 12 months might merely be solved by separating them — not whimsically, however by including extra complementary gamers on extra sustainable contracts, and finally signaling that is undoubtedly Tatum’s group.
Shifting on might admittedly damage. All of us bear in mind the grins and laughs that highlighted their iconic one-on-one battle on the All-Star Sport in Utah. And a commerce assumes danger, an enormous one given Brown’s stature, however on this period, uncertainty additionally exists in an extension. The time could possibly be now or by no means along with his worth at its highest.
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