Though naturally the majority of discussions held during Jaylen Brown’s July 26 press conference were focused on finances, the Boston Celtics star found a way to talk about his club as a whole heading into 2023-24 and specifically mentioned recently acquired Kristaps Porzingis as a player he’s excited to team up with.
Asked whether he believes this revamped roster “has what it takes to win an NBA Championship,” the newly minted $304 million wing name-dropped the big man as a player who can help him, along with fellow star Jayson Tatum and franchise pivot Robert Williams III, boost the club’s defensive efforts with Marcus Smart now on the Memphis Grizzlies.
“I’m excited to get started with the journey, as well. I think what Kristaps can bring to us defensively, and the additions some of our other guys can bring to us defensively, I want to make sure that’s where we hang our hats this year,” Brown said. “That starts with me, that starts with Jayson, that starts with guys, Rob. With Marcus gone, we don’t want our defensive identity to go out the door as well, so we have to really emphasize that at the start of training camp.”
Last season, the Celtics finished the year off ranked as the second-best defensive team, boasting an astounding rating of 110.6 and tied for the fourth-fewest points per game allowed to opponents at 111.4.
Though their 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year in Smart is no longer with them, Jaylen Brown hopes the addition of Kristaps Porzingis to this core can help keep their production on the less glamorous side of the ball high.
Jaylen Brown Opens Up on Marcus Smart Trade
The departure of Marcus Smart was a tough pill to swallow for all of Celtics nation, but his move especially hit Jaylen Brown emotionally, as he noted during his presser that he feels as though he lost not just a friend and teammate, but a brother.
“My brother, my teammate, one of my best friends is not on the team anymore. I learned so much from Marcus,” Brown said during a press conference after agreeing to his supermax extension. “We butted heads at times, we fought, we did it all…This journey won’t feel the same without him to be honest. But it’s a part of life, it’s a part of what you do going forward, and everything that he’s instilled into this organization, everything he’s instilled into this community, it’s still going to be with us, we’ll still carry it with us. We’re going to wish him well on his new journey.”
Marcus Smart gets his SIXTH STEAL OF THE NIGHT 👏👏👏
Jaylen Brown would close out on the topic of losing Marcus Smart by saying the Celtics will “feel the loss of his impact when he’s no longer here,” but that the team will “be able to keep moving forward.”
Celtics Could Target Former Lakers Sharpshooter
As things currently stand, the Celtics find themselves with a two-way roster spot in need of filling before the 2023-24 season kicks off. While there likely are several ways in which Brad Stevens and company could address such a vacancy, Sports Illustrated’s Bobby Krivitsky recently suggested the idea of Boston pursuing former Los Angeles Lakers sharpshooter Cole Swider.
“Another name now on the market is Cole Swider. The Lakers waived the six-foot-nine sharpshooter to open a two-way roster spot for forward Alex Fudge,” Krititsky wrote. “Swider appeared in seven tilts with the purple and gold as a rookie last season, averaging 5.9 minutes per contest and making 37.5 percent of his 1.1 shots from three-point range.”
Every Cole Swider 3-pointer from Summer League 💰💰💰
Krivitsky would playfully add that the draw of returning to his New England roots (born and raised in Portsmouth, RI) could be an extra driver in a possible team-up between the perimeter scorer (shot 42.5 percent from deep) and the Celtics.
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Jaylen Brown Dishes on Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics Defense