The Boston Celtics had one heck of an up and down regular season.
And there might not be one player who embodied that roller coaster ride much more than Jaylen Brown.
The 22-year-old went through his fair share of struggles for a good chunk of the season, but came on strong in the closing stages of the regular and arguably has been the Celts’ second or third best player down the stretch. He shot over 50 percent from the floor after the All-Star break and averaged 13.8 points a game, compared to 12.7 before the break.
Brown credits a change in mindset as the key to turning his season around.
“You come to realize you shouldn’t compare yourself to others and their situations,” Brown told ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan. “I started focusing on me. I tried not to let my emotions control me. That was hard sometimes, because the media puts so much pressure on us. They blow things out of proportion and people run with it.
It’s true that the Celtics entered the season with massive expectations after getting to the Eastern Conference Finals last season without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. That all paved the way for a tumultuous regular season.
“Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves,” Brown admitted. “You expect things to go a certain way, and when they don’t, that voice in the back of your head starts getting louder and louder.”
But it seems the Celtics have put a good chunk of those issues aside as they embark on the playoffs.
And Brown continues to be a key player for Boston off the bench, shooting 54.5 percent and providing a massive spark at times.
