Jaylen Brown dodges query on knee, however may have ‘no limitations’ in playoffs
Celtics
Brown has had “no limitations” because the Celtics put together for the playoffs, in response to Mazzulla.
As questions proceed to encompass Jaylen Brown’s knee, the Celtics’ star wing didn’t wish to tackle any considerations some may need in regards to the harm on the eve of Boston’s playoff opener.
Brown declined to reply a query in regards to the current information that he obtained a painkilling injection to rehab a bone bruise in his proper knee.
“I’m not right here to speak about my knee, guys,” Brown instructed reporters when requested in regards to the injections on Saturday forward of Sunday’s Recreation 1 in opposition to the Magic. “It’s what it’s. I’m targeted on Orlando.”
Brown, who missed the ultimate three video games of the season as a result of knee harm, practiced once more on Saturday. He’s been a daily participant in follow this week and appears able to get the playoffs going.
“Follow was nice,” Brown stated. “Simply taking it at some point at a time, identical to all people else. We had an excellent breakdown, an excellent gameplan. So, we’ve simply received to return out and execute.”
Whereas Brown dodged questions in regards to the standing of his knee on Saturday, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was a bit extra simple in regards to the state of affairs.
“He seems to be good,” Mazzulla instructed reporters. “He was in a position to do all the pieces, no limitations. He’s been nice, bodily, mentally, actually getting ready himself, able to go. So, love the week that he had.”
Brown’s been coping with the knee difficulty since early March, inflicting him to overlook eight of Boston’s last 24 regular-season video games. Within the contests he performed in, Brown was on a minutes restriction as he performed fewer than half-hour in every of his last eight regular-season video games.
Brown’s minutes hit a season-low within the final common season recreation he performed, getting simply 22 minutes of motion in opposition to the Knicks on April 8. He solely had six factors in that recreation, inflicting some outdoors observers to be involved as he hasn’t performed with the identical burst or explosiveness he normally has over the past month. He solely dunked the ball as soon as in his final eight regular-season video games, a low quantity as he has 43 on the season.
As Brown wasn’t in a position to assault offensively the best way he’s used to, he notably made some changes to his recreation. He stated earlier in April that he had been watching movie of Paul Pierce to search out methods to assault opposing defenses with out super burst.
Brown shot 54.5 % from the sphere within the first seven video games he performed on the minutes restriction earlier than the Knicks recreation, so a few of that learning labored. He thinks that these minutes additionally helped put together for the playoffs, thanking Mazzulla and the Celtics’ teaching employees for permitting him to play for a great portion of the common season’s last month.
“I respect Joe and the coaching employees,” Brown stated. “We had a great recreation plan that we had been sort of like filling it out. I do know my physique fairly nicely. However the choices that had been made I felt what was greatest. I believe I’m going to make use of a few of that stuff in my again pocket as we go ahead. That was a great check for me.”
Now, with over every week off, Brown may have had a great little bit of relaxation earlier than seeing his minutes get ramped again up. Regardless that Brown’s nonetheless coping with the knee difficulty, he’s placing his concentrate on the Magic first and his physique second.
“Simply getting ready your thoughts, greater than something, to anticipate the surprising,” Brown stated. “We anticipate Orlando to return out and play with nice drive. They’re a great younger workforce who’s hungry, so anticipate that depth stage.
“So, I believe setting your thoughts first for what you could must be ready for, after which when you do this, your physique sort of follows swimsuit. So simply getting ready mentally for a tricky bodily matchup, and taking it from there.”
As for Brown’s teammates, a number of Celtics gamers stated earlier within the week that they preferred what they noticed from the All-Star in follow. Derrick White joined that group on Saturday.
“[He’s] among the best gamers within the recreation, so it’s at all times nice having him,” White instructed reporters. “He seems to be good. I believe he’s feeling good. So we’re all excited, and we all know what begins [Sunday], so it’s going to be thrilling.”
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