“I want to be the head of that snake” – Jaylen Brown on becoming the Boston Celtics’ defensive leader
The C’s appeared to have a Smart-sized void after trading away the guard, but several players have stepped up to fill it.
Jaylen Brown says of his and the team’s defensive intensity: “All of our guys are striving to be All-Defensive guys, and I want to be the head of that snake.”
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 17, 2023
The Boston Celtics have the best record in the league at the moment, thanks to an incredible offense and an even better defense. They sport a 20-5 record after defeating the rising Orlando Magic on Sunday.
After the game, in which the Celtics held the Magic to below 100 points, Jaylen Brown discussed how important it is for him and his teammates to set the tone on defense, saying they are “striving to be All-Defensive guys.” In a surprising twist, the star stated his desire to be his squad’s leader on that end of the court.
Boston Celtics since Marcus Smart got injured:
— 0-3 Record
— 25th in offensive
— 14th in defense
— 2nd in Turnovers
— 29th in FG%
— 18th in 3P% pic.twitter.com/EPDb8P8ejP— NBA World (@NBAW0RLD24) January 27, 2023
The Celts have a Smart-less defense
One of the questions that hounded Boston entering this season was who would fill the Marcus Smart-sized void left by the trade with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards that landed Kristaps Porzingis in Beantown. After all, the Celtics’ defense (and offense) dipped last season when the guard was injured.
The front office lucked out by winning the Jrue Holiday sweepstakes later in the offseason. However, even if the Celtics found a worthy replacement for Smart, who is as good, if not better, on defense, they still had a need for a defensive leader with a vocal presence who can also hold teammates accountable – enter Jaylen Brown.
“Scottie was exposed long before this” – Charles Barkley said Michael Jordan reached out after Scottie Pippen’s public bashing
Numbers show that the two-time All-Star is far from being the squad’s most formidable defender. His defensive box plus/minus ranks 11th on the team. But as the longest-tenured Celtic, he might be feeling the burden of taking the lead on defense.
He does have the physique and athleticism necessary to become an all-world defender. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like he can read the defense well, and he sometimes falls asleep on that end of the court.
The Celts have still done admirably on defense
Interestingly, despite missing Smart, Boston may actually be better on that end of the floor this season than the last campaign. The team has allowed fewer points this year and holds a top-three defense. The additions of Holiday and Porzingis and the continuous improvement of Derrick White have been essential to the Celtics’ run to the top spot in the East so far.
Brown has also been impressive, although a significant chunk of his value to the squad continues to be his offensive prowess. In Boston’s five losses, the eight-year pro averaged 19.6 points per game on a 40.6 shooting clip. On the other hand, he has scored 22.6 points per contest and shot 49.1% from the field in the 18 wins he appeared in.
So, it seems the Celtics need Brown to consistently get going like he did against the Magic in order to remain at the top of the Association.
Jaylen Brown got BUCKETS to help the Celtics remain undefeated at home while also securing their 5th-straight win 💪
31 PTS / 6 AST / 5 3PM pic.twitter.com/muibWmwQaG
— NBA (@NBA) December 17, 2023
