Media Day regarded a bit totally different for the Boston Celtics this 12 months. Final 12 months, the Celtics needed to reply questions on a devastating loss to the Miami Warmth within the 2023 Japanese Convention Finals. This 12 months, they needed to reply questions on defending their title. Final 12 months, Celtics followers have been reconciling Kristaps Porzingis carrying a Celtics uniform as an alternative of Marcus Good. This 12 months, the Celtics carry again their total championship core. Final 12 months, there have been questions on who would fill the emotional management position that Marcus Good left behind. This 12 months Celtics know who their emotional chief is: Jaylen Brown.
Picture by Joe Murphy/NBAE through Getty Photos
From the second Jaylen Brown signed his supermax extension final offseason, he has been direct and purposeful about filling the void left behind after the Marcus Good commerce. When Jaylen was requested about final 12 months’s offseason strikes, his reply was pointed; his focus was on the defensive finish of the court docket.
“I feel what Kristaps can carry to us defensively and the additions a few of our different guys can carry to us defensively, I wish to guarantee that’s the place we cling our hats this 12 months. And that begins with me, that begins with Jayson…with Marcus gone, we don’t need our defensive id to exit the door as properly, so now we have to essentially emphasize that firstly of coaching camp.”
It’s simple to speak about elevating your defensive depth within the offseason. Jaylen adopted up theoe feedback with the perfect defensive season of his profession. It’s one factor to guide by instance, and it’s one other to empower your teammates and instill them with confidence. Whether or not it’s his long-time accomplice in crime Jayson Tatum or, on the time, new addition in Xavier Tillman, Jaylen has achieved his greatest to share his confidence along with his teammates. After a down Sport 2 towards the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jaylen was caught on an mic’d up section hyping up his celebrity teammate:
Jayson Tatum would go on to have an enormous bounce-back efficiency to the tune of 33 factors, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists.
One of many large moments of the Finals was the three-pointer that Xavier Tillman hit in Sport 3. I’ve lengthy been a sceptic of Tillman’s three-point capturing potential. Not Jaylen Brown. Within the days main as much as Sport 3, Jaylen had taken be aware of the work Tillman was placing into his three-point capturing in his post-practice exercises, and got here to Tillman with a message:
“Hey, you’re gonna get your alternative, I really feel it. I’m gonna swing it to you. Let it fly. Bro, let it fly. I see you place within the work. I belief you.”
At Media Day when Eddie Home requested Jaylen about that cross to Tillman for the three-pointer, Jaylen smiled as he remembered — he knew what was coming when he made that kick out cross to Tillman.
“I knew it was good earlier than he even (shot). If you happen to see my physique language after I handed it to him, I kinda begin virtually working again.”
Throughout Jaylen’s media periods, his unwavering emphasis on the crew echoed loud and clear.
When requested concerning the selflessness that Jayson and Jaylen performed with final season, Brown mentioned, “that’s part of our model. It’s part of the tradition that we constructed. Taking part in the sport the precise means. Utilizing each facet of our crew, to assist uplift the entire group”.
When requested what the important thing can be to maintain their success with out Kristaps Porzingis early within the season, he mentioned, “I’m on the lookout for guys to take steps ahead. , guys which were right here, been a part of the system, attempt to push them to be higher variations of themselves. That’s thrilling. And as a frontrunner. Attempt to carry that out of all people. Simply be certain that all of the items of the ship are simply transferring easily.”
When questioned about his outlook for the upcoming season, Jaylen as soon as extra credited his teammates for his confidence. “I’m excited. We bought an awesome group of fellows, an awesome crew chemistry, an awesome locker room, we simply gotta take it in the future at a time and see the place we go from there. But it surely’s been an honor being round a few of these guys for X quantity of years. So I’m wanting ahead to this journey due to the blokes I get to share the locker room with.”
After listening to Jaylen’s feedback from Media Day, it’s laborious to not really feel able to run by way of a wall for him. Jaylen has at all times been motivated to excel individually, and his steady enchancment has seen him surpass even the loftiest expectations. Nonetheless, what’s inspiring about his mindset for the upcoming season is his potential to attract motivation from the success of his teammates.
It’s not stunning that as Jaylen strikes by way of the prime of his profession, he’s extra prepared and in a position to tackle the accountability of main the crew. It’s been 5 years since there was a repeat NBA champion; repeating is tough. But, with Jaylen Brown taking up the position of emotional and religious chief, Celtics followers ought to really feel extraordinarily assured about their probabilities to be the primary repeat champion in half a decade.
