BOSTON — Jaylen Brown, outwardly at least, isn’t too broken up that he won’t be playing in the All-Star Game.
In his mind, he now gets to turn his attention to a more important time of year.
The NBA All-Star reserves were announced Thursday, and while Jayson Tatum got selected, Brown did not. It was going to be tough for Brown to get in given how crowded the pool of potential reserves was, so the 23-year-old tried to keep perspective.
“Not disappointed,” Brown said following the C’s 19-104 win over the Golden State Warriors. “I think there’s a lot of guys they have to choose from, a lot of guys having a good year, it is what it is. Just start gearing up your mind, getting ready for the playoffs and stuff like that, building good habits.
“I try to look at anything and everything as motivation,” Brown later noted. “Keep working and getting ready for the playoffs — that’s the stage you want to be on.”
Instead of moping, Brown came out and played well against the Dubs, ultimately putting up 18 points with seven rebounds. It took Jayson Tatum a bit to get going, so Brown and Gordon Hayward’s first half helped push the Celtics ahead.
“I thought that Jaylen handled it great,” head coach Brad Stevens said of Brown being left out of the All-Star roster. “Not being named, came out of the gates playing great.”
Brown continues to elevate his game, so this likely won’t be the last time he’s in the All-Star conversation.
