Rachel Nichols Denies Jaylen Brown’s Comments as Shot at Luka Doncic

There’s been a lot of conversations about a major shift in the league. It’s a common belief that the NBA now caters more to the offensive side of the game as an attempt to generate more viewership. Recently, Jaylen Brown added his two cents to the conversation which was misinterpreted by some as a shot at Luka Doncic. On an episode of UNDISPUTED, Rachel Nichols broke down the meaning of JB’s comment to prove why it wasn’t a shot at the Mavs star.

Brown’s take on the glorification of scorers was, “I think we kind of glorify guys who can play one side of the ball, but we don’t really pay respect to people who guard and play defense and get deflections and steals and change the game in that area. We only glorify the people who can score because that’s what the NBA has marketed.” So, how did this claim end up being tied to Luka?

The Mavs star has been praised for his incredible scoring abilities. He’s arguably one of the best in the league but playing defense has always come up as a major drawback in his career. Even though we have seen a much-improved Luka on the defensive end this season, many people took Brown’s comment as a subtle shot at him. However, Nichols isn’t one to believe in that theory. She said, “I don’t consider it a shot at Luka. I think it was a shot at the NBA and the NBA culture.”

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She agreed with JB’s take because she also thinks that the league panders more to high scoring games which further promotes volume scorers. Nichols also believes that social media has played a major role in the shift. She said, “Frankly, it’s largely because of social media…You have social media managers on teams at the NBA office, their next paycheck depends on how much fan engagement they get.” Nichols said that in that scenario, selling a great three-point shot or a dunk is the easiest route.

Despite the social media buzz that a great offensive play can generate, Nichols said that it’s the defense that wins you championships. So, considering these arguments made by the media veteran, Jaylen Brown’s comment shouldn’t be boxed as a jab at Luka. Instead, it’s something that the league should actually work on.

Jaylen Brown is slowly taking up the role of a leader

Brown was awarded the MVP in the recently concluded Eastern Conference Finals. The 27-year-old had 29 points with six rebounds and two assists in the final game of the series against the Pacers. But these numbers don’t do justice to the role that he plays in the Celtics camp. Recently, Stephen A. Smith praised JB on First Take for being a true leader of the team. He said, “He’s not just an elite player. The number two player on the Boston Celtics in the eyes of most, number one in some, but he’s also the clear-cut vocal leader.”

SAS isn’t the only one who has woken up to the brilliance of Jaylen Brown in the postseason. During a recent appearance on the Point Forward podcast, Evan Turner said, “If you put Jaylen Brown on any other team, maybe in the top four, your team is in a position to win a championship and probably be favored just like it is now.” With the Celtics already in the Finals, maybe this could be the opportunity for Brown to prove that he can win championships for teams in the future.