Jaylen Brown (Rightfully) Wants Celtics To Adopt Pacers’ Play Style

If you’ve been paying attention to the Boston Celtics in recent seasons, there’s surely a point in which you’ve caught yourself annoyed with how they approach playing with a lead.

You’re not the only one, though. It appears Jaylen Brown is too.

The C’s found themselves in plenty of sticky situations over the last two seasons, surrendering large late-game leads due to their insistence on slowing the game down. It’s become a tradition to watch Brown, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White stroll off the bench after sitting for 15 minutes, needing to hold onto a suddenly diminished lead.

It’s been incredibly noticeable, so much that it’s prompted discussion of change in Boston.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to emphasize for our coaching staff and everybody all year,” Brown told Jay King of The Athletic last week. “… I think a lot of the times we get in trouble is when we walk the ball up, play slow, allow teams to load up. I like the version of us when we’re getting up and down, making the right reads and playing with a little pace. I think those two are going to lead us in the right direction. Also, taking care of the basketball is important, keeping turnovers down, and not fouling, and I think that contributes to Celtics basketball.”

There’s little doubt about what prompted Brown’s opinion, as he was clear in the fact that he’s been vocal about his admiration for the Indiana Pacers’ style of play.

“They play fast,” Brown said, per King. “I’m a fan of how they play.”

Brown, of course, would benefit from Boston running more. He’s averaged 7.7 points in transition per game, the third-highest average in the NBA, as noted by King. He’s the Celtics’ most explosive player and hits stretches where he’s nearly impossible to stop at the rim.

Tatum, White and Jrue Holiday could all benefit, as well, having each experienced upticks in field goal percentage at the rim this season. It would only make sense for Boston to get more looks in the paint.

That would obviously prompt some change to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s “chuck-as-many-threes-as-possible” offense, but can be worked in fairly seamlessly. In the modern NBA, you win by shooting well from distance and playing in transition, and Boston is better built to do that than anyone.