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Carmelo Anthony prepares to high school Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown in 2016
Looks like way back. Jaylen Brown was a rookie in October 2016, the No. Three pick of California, when the Celtics have been scheduled to go well with up towards the Knicks on the street. It was a preseason sport, however Brown received a little bit of an surprising shock—Brad Stevens tapped him earlier than the sport to inform him he’d be beginning.
Oh, and his project for the evening: Carmelo Anthony.
Brown would rating 12 factors in 25 minutes on the evening however on an ESPN stream on Monday he famous that issues received off to a rocky begin when it got here to guarding Anthony.
Right here’s how Brown recounted the expertise:
“We’re taking part in the Knicks and Carmelo, that was my matchup. They only sort of threw me on the market and that was my matchup. That was my surreal second like, in Madison Sq. Backyard for the primary time, guarding Carmelo Anthony, the most effective forwards this sport has ever seen, in New York. It was loopy. After I sort of received that second out, Carmelo was undoubtedly my introduction to the league.
“I'm standing in entrance of him, I'm squared up in entrance of him. The group is like, ‘Kill him, kill the rook!’ Everyone’s standing up. And I'm like, ‘Hell, no.’ I simply fouled him. He got here again down once more and I simply fouled him once more. He’s not going to try this stuff on me, no sir.”
Brown has Blossomed in Boston
Brown, after all, has come a good distance since his rookie yr. The Celtics used him sparingly that season. He appeared in 78 video games and began 20 of them however he performed solely 17.2 minutes per evening, averaging 6.6 factors on 45.four p.c capturing and 34.1 p.c 3-point capturing. These are all profession lows.
This yr, Brown was a near-miss for the All-Star workforce, averaging 20.four factors, 6.four rebounds and a couple of.2 assists. When the season got here to a halt in March, Brown was capturing 49.zero p.c from the sector and 38.1 p.c from the 3-point line.
He additionally recounted one of many extra memorable performs of his profession, from his second yr. Brown landed a swooping dunk from the nook off a missed shot in San Antonio on nationwide TV.
Oddly sufficient, Brown stated, that play got here extra from listening to normal supervisor Danny Ainge than from listening to Stevens, his coach. The 2 have totally different philosophies on the subject of crashing the offensive glass vs. hustling again on protection as soon as a sizzling goes up.
“Danny Ainge is a giant supporter of nook crashes,” Brown stated. “He’s been telling me I want to try this extra since my rookie yr within the league. I’m going to attempt to implement it extra, he’s huge on nook crashes. Brad is huge on getting guys again in transition. However Danny is like, no, you’ve received to do the nook crash. I'm attempting to hearken to them each on the similar time.”
For Jaylen Brown, Celtics, Future is Now
Brown, like gamers throughout the league, is antsy to have the restart, although there's important doubt that may have the ability to occur. The Celtics have been the No. Three seed within the East, at 43-21, when the season was stopped after Rudy Gobert examined constructive for coronavirus.
With fellow star ahead Jayson Tatum, Brown is a part of one of many NBA’s most enjoyable younger tandems. Brown is 23 and Tatum is 22.
Observers continuously mission out how good the pairing could also be in 5 years or so. Brown stated he and Tatum don’t suppose that means.
“In no way,” Brown stated. “We’re so nervous about now we don’t have time to consider the following 5 years. All the things that they are saying we will get in 5 years we will do it now. We don’t perceive folks that suppose we've got to be affected person.”
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