Many people believe that the Celtics’ second star Jaylen Brown should be getting more shots. His performances in games 4 and 5 seem to bear this notion out. Doris Burke hinted that Brown needs to be trusted more than Jayson Tatum by the Celtics down the stretch of games.
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The Boston Celtics find themselves in familiarly uncomfortable territory right now. They need a road win to force Game 7 at home against the Philadelphia 76ers.
One of the aspects that stuck out about their recent struggles is the fact that they aren’t using Jaylen Brown much. Brown was their only good scorer in the first half of game 4. Tatum entered their locker room with just 2 points to his name as they battled a big hole.
However, once Tatum got going in the 3rd quarter, Brown stopped getting force-fed shots. He found himself stuck in the corner despite making it clear that he wanted a bigger role. Ultimately, the Celtics may rue this decision, both in the short as well as long term.
Doris Burke believes the Celtics should repose the same faith in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum
Doris Burke was a guest with Mike Greenberg on this morning’s edition of Get Up. The veteran ESPN announcer commented on her belief that Jaylen Brown needs to get more shots in the Celtics’ offense:
“One of the things that I’m curious about – I think Jaylen Brown has closed the gap a little bit in terms of the difference level between him and Jayson Tatum.”
“Now Jaylen Brown still has to take a step in terms of his ability to not turn the ball over…You can’t predict him peeling off the corner and giving up that open 3.”
“The belief seems greater in the Philadelphia camp than it does in the Boston camp.”
Jaylen reportedly looking to explore other teams in the offseason
Rumors about the Celtics’ plans to separate the Jays have been bounding across the NBA for several seasons now. They seemed to have quieted down over the past calendar year.
But with the Cs in a vulnerable position, the pitchforks are out from all angles once again. Brown has been criticized for his shaky ball handling in the past. But he’s still viewed as their bailout scorer, and he thinks of himself in the same light.
With an All-NBA selection due this year, Brown will be courted by many teams. His hometown Atlanta Hawks was reportedly in the mix for him as well. His decision rests on the team’s performance in the remainder of this campaign.
