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On November 16, Jaylen Brown helped the Boston Celtics defeat the Atlanta Hawks with a 22-point performance that also saw him pull down five rebounds, and garner two steals.
Speaking to the media following the game, Brown said he enjoyed playing in his hometown and said he looked forward to playing in Atlanta each season.
“It’s always fun coming back home, seeing some familiar faces,” Brown said. “Seeing people that you seen growing up, seeing family, seeing friends — courtside — giving you support, showing you love. Leaving after the game, people chanting my name. Like, I grew up and went to high school — I went to Marietta — probably 15, 20 minutes away from here. Growing up, I went to a lot of Hawks games.
“It’s just a blessing to be able to be here at this point in my career and still be able to come and to represent this part of Georgia where I came from,” Brown said. “So, it’s amazing to be out here tonight and to get a win, but overall, I’m grateful to God to be able to be here and do what I love and represent my city.”
Brown, who was linked during the summer to trade rumors regarding the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant, has been excellent to start the new season, averaging 25.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 48.2% from the field and 33.7% from deep.
Brown Could Become Supermax Eligible
In a September 15 story, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley labeled Brown as the Celtics player with the most at stake heading into the season, noting that the star wing still has an opportunity to become eligible for a supermax contract with the Celtics, if he can raise his game and earn All-NBA recognition.
“[Brown] has a chance to make himself supermax-eligible, but only if he stays in Boston,” Buckley wrote. “To get such a colossal payday, he must make an All-NBA team, capture the MVP or earn Defensive Player of the Year. Sounds simple enough, right? Obviously, any would be incredible feats, but so would the reward: a possible five-year, $273 million pact with the Shamrocks down the line.”
Given how well Brown has started the season, and the level at which Boston’s offense is currently operating, there’s reason to believe that he could achieve one of the necessary milestones to put himself in the conversation for a supermax deal, which would keep him in Boston throughout his prime.
Trae Young Heaps Praise on Boston’s Offense
Brown has been judicial with his shot selection this season, proving himself to be a force when attacking off the dribble or when cutting toward the rim.
Speaking to the media following, the Hawks’ Trae Young spoke glowingly about Boston’s offensive game plan, most notably about how the Celtics create, and make, open 3-pointers at a consistent clip.
“It’s tough. I mean, when you only hit seven [3-pointers] and they hit 21 of them, that’s a lot of points you’ve gotta make up for,” Young said. “You gotta give them credit; they were knocking down a lot of 3s, but that’s what they do. … I think we were making them make tough shots, and just shoot tough shots. I mean, those guys are going to make shots throughout the whole season, they’re going to get hot, but you just try and make it as tough as you can for them.”
Hopefully, Brown can sustain his current level of play and put himself in contention for a supermax contract, otherwise, the Hawks could become a legitimate threat to poach him away from Boston when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.
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