The Boston Celtics’ continued struggles have brought much more harsh criticism to Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
During a previous two-game stretch in which the Celtics compiled just 15 and then a season-low 14 assists, the ball-movement narrative was elevated to another level. Some even went as far to say that Brown and Tatum had become selfish.
Mike Gorman, the Celtics’ longtime play-by-play announcer, expressed something similar as recent as Wednesday morning.
Celtics team owner Wyc Grousbeck, however, went on record and refuted that claim. It came during Grousbeck’s jam-packed interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Felger and Mazz” radio show Wednesday afternoon.
“So Jayson and Jaylen have made the All-Star team. I don’t view them as selfish players,” Grousbeck told the radio station. “I’ve watched every second of every game this year, and sometimes twice. I see those guys passing the ball to each other, to everybody else. I don’t see them saying, ‘I need to make a basket here to improve my stats.’ That’s not the way I see it. That’s not my gut assessment of those guys.”
Grousbeck did, however, praise both players — and especially Brown — for his development from one year to the next.
“I think Jaylen has brought his game to a new level this year. I think Jayson has had a similar level the last year and has had a really good year. I think Jaylen has taken another step forward,” Grousbeck said. “I think a lot of that is rebounding, a lot of that is passing and playmaking, a lot of it is getting to the hoop, taking the hit and trying to make the free throw.
“He’s just doing things with a lot of energy and intensity. He’s an intense player and he really wants to win,” Grousbeck continued. “So anyway, I’m a fan of Jayson and Jaylen and the way they’re playing. I don’t view them as selfish in my personal opinion.”
Now, obviously, we need to take this with a grain of salt. It would be pretty bad for business if the team owner went on record and blasted his two best players for being selfish ball hogs. It’d probably even cause said players or agents to immediately request a trade.
But Brown and Tatum as selfish? Well, that’s not has Grousbeck sees it. Or at least that’s what he says.
