After an offseason marked by significant roster moves, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown will be heading into the new season with a completely different unit. With Jayson Tatum sidelined with an injury, Brown’s responsibilities to the team as a leader have increased.
In a recent interview with The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, Jaylen Brown spoke about his thoughts on the new team and dedicating his effort toward building chemistry with the new unit.
“It’s a little bit sad, a lot of the guys I spent a lot of time with, we had such a great group over the last couple of years,” Brown shared. “To see them not be around anymore obviously is going to have an effect on our team, but we have five new players we’ve got to get on board and acclimated into the system. And I’m trying to expedite that chemistry building, that trust building, so you guys can see a good product when we get to the floor. But some of that stuff takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. But I’m looking forward to it.”
The offseason has been a challenging one for the Celtics. The departure of several key rotation players was offset by the arrival of fresh faces who will need guidance. Washburn noted that being a mentor didn’t come naturally to the Celtics star. But his experience over nine seasons in the NBA has helped him attain a level of peace.
The guard shed more light on this by adding, “I would say a lot of times I felt like I had to operate a certain way to protect myself, and it was kind of the way I felt like I had to be in order not to lose my mind a little bit. But I feel like I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I’m at peace, and I feel like I can express more of myself to the world in a sense where I just haven’t opened up in the last (several) years. More so, showing the world who Jaylen Brown is.”
Jaylen Brown embracing a more prominent role as a leader should prove to be quite valuable for the Celtics, but it doesn’t make up for the challenges the team will face in the upcoming season.
The roster overhaul was a necessary effort made by the team to reduce their payroll and get below the second tax apron. Although the franchise succeeded in its efforts, the result has left the roster noticeably thin.
Recent updates regarding Tatum’s recovery journey paint a positive picture for the future, with the strong likelihood of him returning in time for the playoffs. However, given the team’s current structure, competing for a playoff spot could be quite a challenge.
In this regard, the onus falls upon Jaylen Brown and the remaining members of the team’s championship squad to ensure the Celtics stay afloat long enough for their star to make a comeback.
