Danny Ainge Believes Jaylen Brown Handled Celtics Season ‘Better Than Anybody’

It was quite the tumultuous season for the Celtics, to say the least.

Boston was favored to run away with the Eastern Conference and claim the NBA title with a healthy Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving in tow, as well as young studs like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

But, as you know, the Celtics were bounced from the playoffs after losing the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, rumors swirled of miscommunication and unhappiness amongst teammates and Irving left for the Brooklyn Nets.

Brown in particular had a tough season in some aspects. The 22-year-old returned from injury but to a bench role — something he wasn’t used to doing. But he was successful and the team was playing well as a whole.

But after Irving called out his younger teammates, it would be normal to assume Brown didn’t take too kindly to that. But if you ask Danny Ainge, Brown handled last season the best of anyone.

“Jaylen is, you know, he might’ve handled a difficult situation better than anybody our team last year,” the Celtics president of basketball operations said on NBC Sports Boston’s “The Michael Holley Podcast,” as transcribed by WEEI. “Very mature kid. Wants to be great. Knows that his time is coming. It’s hard for him to be patient, but he has been patient. And he continues to work. He finds guys — right now he’s working out with Donovan Mitchell, last year I think it was Jimmy Butler. He’s trying to find ways to get better and I think Jaylen’s going to be a very good player and has a very bright future.”

Certainly some high praise from the front office.

Brown and the new-look Celtics will look to rebound from 2018-19 when they begin their new season Oct. 23 to face the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.