NBA playoffs 2017: Time for Celtics to take training wheels off, let Jaylen Brown loose

Sean Deveney

NBA playoffs 2017: Time for Celtics to take training wheels off, let Jaylen Brown loose image

BOSTON — Eager to find something — anything — to salvage from the 48 minutes of drubbery that took place at the hands of the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the East finals, folks in Celticville took comfort in an unusual place. They turned to 6-7 rookie forward Jaylen Brown.

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In the name of hyperbole, and in the name of the health of TNT’s ratings, the question must be asked: Can Jaylen Brown rescue the Celtics?

All right, Brown is a rookie moving along in his first postseason. But, in 20 minutes on the floor Wednesday, Brown turned in his second consecutive solid performance, scoring 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting, plus nine rebounds. Because he is a long-limbed and athletic wing, he provided more fluidity to the beleaguered Boston defense, and his ability to stay within himself while still producing offensively is rare for a first-year player.

“He played well,” forward Jae Crowder said. “I think when we went small, he was a key factor in being able to switch and play against everybody on their team on the perimeter. I feel like he will be key moving forward in Game 2. I think he brings a lot of athleticism to our team, and we’re going to use it against these guys.”

If the Celtics like to cast themselves as a collection of mostly overlooked and underestimated — 5-9 Mr. Irrelevant-turned-star Isaiah Thomas, second-rounder Crowder, prep star but college bust now NBA starter Avery Bradley, and so on — Brown is on the opposite end of the spectrum. He is a significant talent, with springy leaping ability, a prototype small forward’s body, a promising jumpshot and an easy stride in the open court. He is also emerging as one of the best dunkers in the league. At 20, he is only just beginning to polish up his skillset.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens has had to establish a fine balance with Brown. All season, he wanted to develop what figures to be a key part of the franchise’s future by letting him earn minutes. He has resisted giving Brown too much too fast, though, limiting him to 19 minutes or fewer in 41 of the 78 games Brown played. Brown was only on the floor for 30-plus minutes four times this season — each time because of an injury to Avery Bradley, Al Horford or both.

But maybe Stevens, after watching the Cavaliers run rings around his lesser athletes on both ends of the floor, should gamble on an unleashing of Brown. Take Thursday’s game alongside the way the Cavaliers pulled apart the Celtics in Boston in early April, and there does not seem to be much to lose.

Stevens hinted that the Celtics’ limited athleticism means more Brown could be in the offing.

“I thought he played well,” Stevens said. “But I think it also was very evident that athletically he’s just a special athlete. He can do things that other guys can’t do, whether it’s offensive rebounding or getting to the basket or whatever the case may be. We need some of those things, so I would expect him to continue to play a large role for us in this series.”

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There’s an expectation that the Celtics, after playing starting forward Amir Johnson just four minutes in Game 1, will make a lineup change in Game 2. Throughout the playoffs, that’s meant veteran wing Gerald Green, and that will probably be the case on Saturday. The Celtics offense looked much better in the third quarter with Green on the floor.

But why not give Brown a shot? After the productive season he has put together with limited minutes in a limited role, put him in as a starter. Let him guard LeBron James from the get-go. Call some plays for him on the offensive end. Find him in transition.

The concerns about giving Brown too much responsibility throughout the season were sensible. The Celtics wanted to build up his confidence. They were also trying to win with their veterans, to secure as high a seed as possible in the East.

That’s all out the window. The Celtics have to go into survival mode against a Cleveland team that has them outmatched, particularly in terms of athleticism. If they want to have a chance at keeping up with the Cavs, get the best athlete on the roster into the game.

And don’t worry about Brown’s confidence. Throughout this season, he has revealed himself to be a cool-headed, intelligent young player, a guy who grasps the game mentally as easily as he does physically. Besides, being on this stage at his age, in his first season, carries with it a blissful ignorance of the magnitude of what he’s doing. A guy who has played 10 years without making a conference finals is more likely to be overwrought with nerves and tension than a rookie going on instinct.

On Thursday, Brown was asked about guarding James (38 points), which fell to him only a handful of times in Game 1. It was a question that dogged other Celtics who have been experiencing the devastation James can bring individually for years now.

But Brown shrugged as if he had been asked why he breathes air or walks upright. What else am I supposed to do?

“I mean, it was just playing basketball,” Brown said. “He laced up his shoes just like I laced up mine, so it was just coming out and playing basketball. I mean, it’s my job.”

To be clear, this series is a mismatch. There is likely no one who can rescue the Celtics here. But Brown might be Boston’s best shot.

Sean Deveney

Sean Deveney is the national NBA writer for Sporting News and author of four books, including Facing Michael Jordan. He has been with Sporting News since his internship in 1997.