Celtics Upbeat About Jaylen Brown Before Playoffs: ‘Nobody’s Worried’

Before the Boston Celtics kicked back and tuned in for Tuesday night’s Orlando Magic-Atlanta Hawks play-in tournament battle, all eyes were directed toward guard Jaylen Brown during the team’s practice.

Brown returned as a full participant for the first time since receiving pain management injections in his right knee last week. The Celtics took a precautionary approach with Brown by sitting him for the team’s final three games of the regular season, which drew some speculation regarding the severity of Brown’s nagging knee issue — amplified by the fact that five days separate the C’s from the start of their first-round series.

Teammates in attendance expressed their confidence in the reigning NBA Finals MVP.

“He looked great today,” Al Horford told reporters, per CLNS Media. “I was very happy to see him out there doing everything so it’s a really good sign for us. … Jaylen is very strong mentally and I feel like he finds a way and he’s the type that he’s out here putting in the work and trying to get himself ready to go. And he understands whats in front of us and I know that mentally he’s gonna be in a good place so I’m just excited to see him go from this point forward now.”

Confusion began to brew when Brown took the floor against the New York Knicks last Tuesday. Boston had already locked its No. 2 seed standing in the Eastern Conference; there was nothing left to play for from a competitor’s standpoint, plus Brown looked noticeably restricted. The 28-year-old finished the regular season missing 19 games, the most Brown has missed since 2021. It shattered his eligibility for an All-NBA honor, but reassured that the only thing Brown is aiming for is another championship.

Brown averaged 22.2 points with 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists, shooting 46.3% from the field and 32.4% from 3-point range across 63 appearances. Boston, meanwhile, went 15-4 without Brown to maintain the team’s dominance, much like the Celtics did last season. In fact, despite having the usual starting five healthy for 13 fewer games than last season, Boston finished the campaign with only three fewer wins at 61-21.

Even Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla signaled zero concerns about Brown’s availability for the start of the team’s first-round series this weekend — either against the Magic or Hawks.

“Just taking it one day at a time as he continues to get better and better,” Mazzulla mentioned, per CLNS Media.

Brown was integral throughout last season’s playoff run. When starting center Kristaps Porzingis suffered an ankle injury in the first round against the Miami Heat, Brown turned it up a notch and averaged 23.9 points with 5.9 rebounds on 51.9% shooting from the floor. The four-time All-Star was also named MVP of the conference finals and made it easier for Porzingins to make a heroic return just in time for the Banner 18 clincher.

If Tuesday afternoon’s practice was any indicator, the Celtics have nothing to worry about.

“He looked good to me,” Jrue Holiday said, per CLNS Media. “I think JB is just gonna be JB in terms of not showing weakness. Everything is about not showing weakness, for him, and to be able to be the strongest mentally and physically. So nobody’s worried about him. We all know that he wants to be on the court every time we play, but we also know he’s going to be prepared when the time comes.”

Brown has yet to miss a playoff game over the course of his nine-year career.