Jaylen Brown Explains ‘Tough’ Aspect Of Celtics’ Premier Talent

Jaylen Brown has played on great teams for the bulk of his NBA career, and the Celtics star knows supreme talent can be a double-edged sword.

On one hand, Boston's elite starting five gives the team more than a puncher's chance to win every game. And if the Celtics stay relatively healthy from wire to wire, they should be in the mix for the 2024 NBA championship. But the C's can only get to the promised land if they keep their foot on the gas, which isn't always easy when the team is so good.

"It's tough being talented because it invites laziness, it invites complacency,” Brown told reporters after Boston's road win over the Washington Wizards on Monday night, as transcribed by MassLive. "But that's going to be our enemy this season. It's going to be us vs. us. Our leaders on the team, we gotta make sure we really emphasize really from the top to the bottom. We gotta run through the finish line."

The Celtics don't necessarily need to go on a full-fledged sprint until June. Seeding shouldn't have too much of an impact on Boston's Finals hopes and the team should make sure it keeps its top players fresh for the long haul as best as possible. But the regular season is where you build good habits, and Brown appears eager to lead that charge.

Boston, now 3-0, is off to a great start in that regard. It will try to keep trending in the right direction Wednesday night when it hosts the Indiana Pacers.