Getty Jaylen Brown soars in for a dunk
Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens shared a brief but encouraging update Sunday regarding the status of forward Jaylen Brown’s sore left knee.
“Feeling much better today,” said Stevens, speaking to the media before the Celtics 100-91 loss to the Phoenix Suns. “[Jaylen’s] gonna go through a lift and a light court workout here before the game. But all trending really positive.”
As expected, Brown was declared out against the Suns. And while his 26.4 points per game were undoubtedly missed in a matchup that saw Kemba Walker shoot 4-for-20 from the field and Carsen Edwards 1-for-6, Brown’s defensive presence was perhaps the most impactful omission. Phoenix’s guards and small forwards, specifically Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges, utilized their length to create easy looks over the shorthanded—and short—Celtics backcourt.
The 6-foot-5 Booker scored 18 while dishing out 11 assists, and Bridges, who boasts a hawk-like 7-foot-1 wingspan from his 6-foot-6 frame, led the Suns with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting. On the Suns first possession, Booker provided a troubling glimpse of what was to come when he easily drilled a 17-foot jumper over the outstretched but ineffective arm of the 5-foot-11 Edwards. Eventually the Celtics moved Tatum over to help guard and double Booker, but that just allowed more space for Phoenix’s other scorers like Bridges, Cameron Johnson (17 points) and center Deandre Ayton (16 points).
Intense Workload Ultimately Sidelined Brown
Brown’s knee soreness came to light, at least to the general public, following the Celtic’s 116-111 loss to Sacramento last Wednesday night, during which he scored 21 points in 34 minutes. According to Stevens, the knee issue was not the result of one specific play, but rather an intense overall workload.
“He’s dealing with the intensity of all the games that have come before that he hasn’t missed any of,” Stevens said a couple of days later. “So hopefully it’s not something long term. We’re certainly on top of it. But it wasn’t one moment that I know.”
Brown was seen grimacing and walking gingerly during the second half of the Kings game, which gave the impression something had happened in-the-moment, but Stevens said it simply flared up more than it had in the past.
“He really felt it more than he probably had been in the Sacramento game,” Stevens said. “You saw the layup in front of our bench where he laid it in off one leg. I told him he looked like me on that one. He was sore that night, yesterday still sore, this morning still.” Brown alluded to “nagging injuries” after the Kings game, but seemed more focused on his individual play and the team’s record than the knee.
Jaylen Brown: “We’re 11-9.. We got a long way to go.”
Coach Stevens Mulls Options to Keep Brown In Lineup
The increased soreness forced Brown to miss his first game of the season Friday night, an improbable 119-115 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers, who were short a superstar of their own, Paul George. The Celts were bolstered by strong performances from Tatum, Walker and Edwards, as well as the steady and much-ballyhooed return of rookie Payton Pritchard, who had been out with an MCL strain.
Brown is listed as day-to-day and Stevens hasn’t given any specifics on when he’ll be back. There’s hope it’ll happen before Tuesday’s matchup with the Utah Jazz, holders of the best record in the NBA, but since Utah is the last stop on Boston’s five-game road trip, it’s also likely the Celts will wait to get home before making a decision. No matter when it happens though, Stevens said he’s open to getting creative with time management to keep Brown from yo-yo’ing in and out of the lineup.
“Certainly if we think it will be something where you play him and he has to sit, it would be something we’d have to look at,” Stevens said.
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