Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took on major responsibility this season, challenging themselves to be the leaders of the Boston Celtics.
It hasn't been an easy transition for the two young All-Star wings, though, carrying those expectations while both being 24 years old or younger. Especially with how much the team has struggled to find resolve and consistency this year.
Brad Stevens was asked about their roles on the team ahead of the Celtics' game against the Houston Rockets on Friday, and while he says they deserve a lot of credit for their leadership, this season's adversity will make them grow tremendously in that regard.
"I think the most important thing that young players can do when talking about leading is they can lead by example with their play on both ends, and they can be accountable," Stevens said in his pregame media availability. "And I think that, for the most part, they deserve high marks in both of those areas, and especially accountability. Those guys don't shirk from their responsibility. They don't point fingers at other people. And they have been really receptive to growing, and they deserve credit for that. And they're not as good of leaders as they will be when they're 27, but they're as good as any (23) and 24 year old I can imagine. And so I think that that's one of the many reasons why I think they're special."
Tatum and Brown look to lift their team Friday against Houston, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
