BOSTON CELTICS’ JAYLEN BROWN TALKS WINNING MENTALITY AND PLAYOFF PREPARATION
The Boston Celtics have been dominating the NBA this season with their impressive 37-11 record, making them the top team in the Eastern Conference and possibly the entire league. In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, star player Jaylen Brown opened up about the team’s winning mentality and their approach to this season compared to previous years.
According to Brown, winning is the most important thing for the Celtics. He emphasized the importance of setting aside egos and focusing on the ultimate goal of winning. “We all know that we need each other,” Brown stated. He also highlighted the significance of teamwork and how it plays a crucial role in a long and challenging season. Every game and matchup is seen as a stepping stone towards the playoffs, with the team constantly building and preparing for the ultimate goal.
On an individual level, Brown has been exceptional this season, averaging 22.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting close to 50 percent from the field. He revealed that he and his teammates thrive in high-pressure situations and big games. Brown believes that although the team may have won important games in the past, it wasn’t necessarily enough to prepare them for the later stages of the season. This year, they are focusing on long-term growth and development, even if it means sacrificing a few early wins. Their ultimate aim is to be at their best when the lights shine the brightest.
With their winning mentality and a star player like Jaylen Brown leading the way, the Boston Celtics are ready to take on any challenge that comes their way. As the playoffs approach, the Celtics are determined to continue improving and growing as a team, ensuring they are fully prepared for the ultimate test. Stay tuned for more updates on the Celtics’ journey towards championship glory.
Looking at Brown individually, he has improved in a select amount of areas in each year he has been in the league, but has he reached his peak? According to the 27-year old player, he doesn’t think so and said he will continue to grow as a basketball player. He would even compare himself to his teammate in Jayson Tatum as people who separate themselves from other players in the league.
“I definitely have grown a lot as a basketball player,” Brown said. “I definitely have grown a lot as a playmaker. I still have a lot of growing left to do. It’s exciting. People think that in basketball you kind of reach your peak, and I think for some that’s true. But me and guys like JT, we’re always searching how to get better.”
There is no doubt that the Celtics always have had high expectations that usually end in disappointment like last season where they went down 3-0 early to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite winning three straight after, they would lose in Game 7, but Brown feels that now, they are in the perfect space to win and “get over the hump.”
“We all have had experiences that have all led us to this place where we’re ready to get over the hump,” Brown said. “Maybe early in our career we were more interested or just as interested in doing other things, but now is a great place in all of our lives.”
Boston has loaded their roster even more than it was with the acquisitions of stars like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday who both provide a boost on both sides of the ball. A veteran presence that has been with the Celtics for a while has been big-man Al Horford who admitted that last season, there was “less structure.”
“I think definitely there was less structure last year,” Horford said to The Athletic. “And I just think, given the situation we were in starting the season, Joe as a new head coach, not enough time to put in everything we needed to, things like that, some of those things take time. You could argue that you could implement it last year but the reality is that it just didn’t work out like that. This year I think we’re all understanding and really trying to buy into what Joe’s telling us.”
The Celtics have championship aspirations for this season, but first they need to solidify their No. 1 spot in the league first. It will be a matchup rich in history as they face the Lakers Thursday night inside TD Garden.
