Getty Jaylen Brown is playing the best basketball of his career.
Jaylen Brown was mocked last year. He was also embarrassed after his Boston Celtics fell at home to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The door was wide open for Brown to take charge in that Game 7 and get the Celtics back into the NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum injured his ankle early in the first quarter and hobbled his way through the game. It was time for Brown to step up, and he and the Celtics struggled. Brown went 8-for-23 from the floor and committed eight turnovers in the embarrassing 103-84 loss.
Brown is now playing the best basketball of his career. After a 127-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, March 14, Brown said he’s a much different player than last year. He also revealed a quote that he lives by that may have helped his personal turnaround.
Jaylen Brown Says Experience Comes With Failure
The Game 7 loss to the Heat last postseason can’t be put squarely on Brown’s shoulders, but it was the perfect opportunity for him to take charge. The Celtics had won three straight games to overcome a 3-0 deficit and force a winner-take-all game at TD Garden.
Boston was a significant favorite, but when Tatum rolled his ankle minutes into the game, much of the air was taken out of the Boston crowd. Brown needed to step up, and he struggled.
After Thursday’s win over the Suns, a reporter asked Brown if he felt like this is the best he’s played in his career.
“I just feel like I improved on a lot of the stuff I needed to work on,” Brown said. “Overall, just improved my mentality and just attacked my weaknesses. I felt like some of the stuff you could say about me last year you can’t say about me this year. I’m excited to go into the playoffs and keep it going and prove the same thing.”
Brown said the loss was a motivator.
“When you lose, come up short on your home floor, and when things don’t go your way, there’s a quote that I like,” Brown said. “‘When things don’t go your way, and you don’t get what you want, what you get is experience.’ I love that quote.”
Brown Used Mistakes and Embarrassment to Improve
The Celtics made two key offseason moves, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, giving Boston arguably the best starting five in the NBA.
The well-balanced C’s have the best record in the league at 52-14 and have a 9.5-game lead in the Eastern Conference over the second-place Milwaukee Bucks. With a top-notch starting five, it’s only fitting that most of the starters see a dip in their numbers.
Brown is averaging 23-1 points, down from 26.6 last season, but only Derrick White is the lone starter whose numbers haven’t fallen. The Celtics are a more complete team this year and Boston is the lone team to reach 50 wins this year.
Brown played in his second straight All-Star Game this year and has used last year’s struggles to fine-tune his game.
“We’ve had losses, we’ve had embarrassment, and we’ve had mistakes,” Brown said. “I’ve used it all to just improve.”