Jaylen Brown Logs 1st Triple-Double and Insists He and Jayson Tatum Can Thrive Together
Jaylen Brown, after assembling his first career triple-double, told reporters that he and Jayson Tatum can be productive as teammates and downplayed talk Boston should trade one of them.
The Celtics apparently agree. They “have no interest to split up” their two young All-Stars, according to a report by The Athletic.
Trade talk arose again after the Celtics blew a 25-point lead in a loss to the New York Knicks last Thursday. Two days later, Brown put together 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists and the Celtics squared things with the Knicks, winning 99-75.
UPDATE: Brown had 26 points, a season-high 15 rebounds and six assists on Monday night as the Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 101-98 in overtime.
Afterward Saturday's game, Brown, 25, said he was excited about the triple-double but stressed it’s not his priority.
"I wanted to just keep playing basketball. I'm not trying to stat chase. I'm not a guy that's trying to do that," Brown said. "It's definitely a milestone in my career to get the first one and I'm looking to get a lot more.”
He also said he and Tatum, 23, are able to coexist and thrive. Brown, who played one season at Cal (2015-16), was averaging 24.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists entering play Monday. Tatum was producing 25.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season.
Jaylen Brown defies gravity.
Photo by Winslow Townson, USA Today
Statistics aside, the Celtics have struggled this season. They are 19-21 and have lost five of their past eight entering their Monday night game against the Indiana Pacers.
"I think we can play together," Brown told reporters after Saturday’s win. "We have played together well for the majority of our career. . . . The last year or so hasn't gone as expected, but I think a lot of the adversity that we're kind of going through now is going to help us grow and get better in the future.
"If we get over this slump and continue to learn, I think there's a lot of good basketball on the other side of this. I only can control what I can control. I understand everybody has to do their jobs, but me and JT talk.”
The two did have a conversation after the Celtics squandered the big lead vs. New York, and they emerged “on the same page,” Brown said.
“I get where all the other frustration comes from, but as long as I'm on the same page with him and he's on the same page with me, that's where we're most focused on,” Brown said. “So tonight we wanted to come out and get a win and we did it.”
According to ESPN, with both Brown and Tatum on the floor the Celtics are 4.6 points per 100 possessions better than their opponents in over 500 minutes. But the Celtics have been erratic and four times this season have given away 19-point leads in defeats.
"Any time you blow a lead like that, you're not going to forget it. We learned from that experience. That's all it is," Brown said.
“I know that people are tired of hearing that, but a lot of learning and growth is still taking place. I'm getting better as a basketball player. Jayson's getting better as a basketball player and trying to put our guys in position to make them look good. It's tougher than it looks.
“So we just gotta continue to get better, make the right plays, trust ourselves, trust our teammates, trust our coaching staff, and let the chips fall where they may.”
Much of the criticism involving Brown and Tatum has focused on their passing ability. Brown also has struggled with turnovers, averaging 3.2 for the season with 28 over the six games prior to Saturday's victory.
Celtics coach Ice Udoka said helping making Brown a better passer has been an emphasis and said, "He's been great as far as wanting to learn and grow, and really get better in that area"
At times, Udoka said, Brown has been guilty of over-thinking when to pass or when when to shoot "He's starting to figure out that rhythm of simplicity and making the easy pass and trusting your teammates and not playing to the crowd -- all of the things we preached all year," Udoka said.
"But it's a balance when you're a natural scorer and you're trying to shift your focus to how teams are defending you."
Cover photo of Jaylen Brown by Winslow Townson, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
