The Boston Celtics made the decision to trade Jaylen Brown in the offseason. That decision came after Brown helped Boston win 56 games in the regular season. However, a feud between Brown and Jayson Tatum was revealed after that.
Tatum has tried to stay out of it for the most part, but Brown has kept adding fuel to the fire. Former Celtics player Marcus Smart doesn’t believe that the feud is their fault. He actually blames the media for stirring this up, claiming he didn’t see this while he was in Boston.
Marcus Smart Blames Media for Jaylen Brown, Celtics Split
According to The Athletic, Smart believes that the media played a big part in this dispute happening.
“For them to end how it is, I blame a lot of it on the media. Because when I was there, we were good, we were rocking. When I left, they were still good and rocking. I think they just allowed certain stuff in the media to come in between them, to create that gap. Everybody put assumptions on the guys. Saying they’re this, saying they’re that, creating a wedge, creating a villain, creating a hero. That (factors into it) a lot.”
Smart may not have seen much of a dispute when he was in Boston, but it was clearly there. Brown seemed to be angry with perceived slights against him. He thought he wasn’t being treated as Tatum was, despite the fact that he was an NBA Finals MVP.
Brown was traded to the 76ers to start a new chapter in his career. To this point, Philadelphia has the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are second, right behind them. Tatum has started off a bit slow from a shooting perspective, but he is getting better as the season goes along.
Boston Has Moved on Completely From Jaylen Brown
The Celtics have moved on from Brown and reconfigured their starting lineup. They are committed to moving forward with the guys they have, and they believe those guys can help them compete for a championship. Tatum is still clearly the center of the team.
To this point in the season, Boston has the third-best offensive rating in the NBA. The offense has had almost no drop-off without Brown in the lineup. That is in part because of the fact that Paul George has played very well early in the season, as he was the player the Celtics got back for Brown.
Right now, George is averaging 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He is shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. His shooting has provided a big lift for Boston as they try to integrate a new starting lineup.
Boston has been one of the few healthy teams in the East. That has been one of the reasons they are at the top of the conference. That needs to continue for the Brown trade to be worth it.
Marcus Smart Blames Media for Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown Celtics Feud