Why Joe Mazzulla’s Not Worried Over Celtics’ Jaylen Brown’s Award Snub

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown needed to post a major season of production in the first year of a massive extension for the Celtics.

He rose to the challenge as a much-improved defender while averaging 23 points per game and shooting just under 50% from the floor in the regular season. That came for a Celtics team that spread the wealth across a talented lineup. As a result, Boston earned just one All-NBA spot with Jayson Tatum.

Boston guard Payton Pritchard fired back that Brown should have been a selection, though head coach Joe Mazzulla isn’t worried about the impact of the snub for the Celtics star.

“He’s a very mature guy,” Mazzulla said Thursday at TD Garden prior to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. “He has a great outlook on life. He knows what’s important and what’s not. He works really hard. He knows who he is as a person and a player. That’s the most important thing.”

Despite the regular-season award snub, Brown’s postseason impact keeps driving the Celtics as well, averaging 23.4 points in the playoffs and delivering the game-saving three-pointer in the Game 1 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Brown’s continued impact alongside his talented Celtics teammates will remain paramount in Boston’s championship hopes.