By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
Jaylen Brown has delivered for the Boston Celtics when called upon, and now he has a bigger opportunity in store this season. After the Boston Bruins traded Brad Marchand and the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers, the city could use more icons to emphasize what it is about. Brown is the type of person who desires and relishes an opportunity to lead in any way, as he has been the main energy of the team during gamedays while partner-in-crime Jayson Tatum leads by flat-out producing.
Jaylen Brown now has to be that number one guy on the basketball court for a team that will go through its leaps and bounds. With the Eastern Conference having thin depth, there is still major progress that can be made individually and collectively off a solid Brown-led run.
Building his 741 brand this offseason with pop-ups in Boston is an obvious example of Brown’s desire to be the guy for a city. Whereas the offseason after a title was more of a relaxing one, Brown has to be thinking that time soaking in the city’s energy can set the tone for the upcoming season. Fans can look back on this offseason as a pivotal moment for a persistent player who wanted to manifest a better-than-expected season.
Obviously, the depleted roster will have to gain familiarity and go through the natural bumps of adjusting, but for an NBA team, the face of the franchise has to be in the right mode for things to brighten eventually. It is clear that being one with Boston this offseason shows that Brown is here to make things right when the time comes.
As mentioned earlier, Brown has already shown himself to be that spark of energy for the team on the court. Now, if Brown produces at a higher level, he can be the two-way spark that the team can rely on in every way. This is what Brown is chasing, and having a consistently physical offensive presence would be huge for a team that could use more offensive variation.
Although the three-point shot is a threat that has been developed under Joe Mazzulla and his philosophy, look for Brown to return to an attack-the-basket mentality this season. A healthy and rejuvenated Brown can only be on track to open up more of what the Celtics’ roster still has.
After a season that never felt to some spectators like Brown was fully healthy, a bigger impact should not be all that unexpected. After a title run that had Brown setting the tone, ironically with contagious drives toward the rim, his body clearly gave him all sorts of problems last season. It played a big part in the Celtics not repeating what they did the season before.
Now that Brown’s knee has been cleaned up, he is heading into this season with a noticeably better energy than what things felt like in the previous season. With no implication of Brown wanting to be elsewhere, it is clear that he is the type of player who has wanted to be the top face of a team eventually. When Tatum finishes his persistent recovery, Brown will know fully what it is to be a universal leader and what it is to be a nuanced co-leader.
This is a reality that is healthy for the Celtics to see Brown go through, as his mind will be clear going forward about his annual role and impact with the team. Although the team’s roster will be tested this year, you should know that there will be a leader this season who is willing to take it all on.
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