Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis Wants Jaylen Brown to be Shut Down Ahead of Playoffs

The big man wants the Celtics to shut down the defending NBA Finals MVP.

Apr 8, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) warms up before a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics have locked up the second seed in the Eastern Conference standings. They have been in that spot for most of the season, several games behind the Cavs for that spot.

Despite that fact, the Celtics have been playing most of their starters down the stretch. They have been trying to win games and keep the positive momentum going.

In their last game against the Orlando Magic, they sat most of their starters. In fact, all five normal starters and Al Horford missed the game against Orlando.

The Celtics looked like they were prioritizing health over winning in that game. That's something that one Celtics player thinks they should continue to do.

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Starting center Kristaps Porzingis believes that one Celtics player should be shut down for the rest of the regular season. He thinks that Jaylen Brown needs to be put on the shelf until the playoffs start.

“He’s a tough dude,” Porzingis told reporters, per MassLive’s Souichi Terada. “He always preaches his warrior mindset and he lives by it. But to what extent do we need that right now? Maybe he needs to take care of it and make sure he’s going to be ready for the most important moments."

Porzingis understands that Brown is one of the most important players on the roster. They need him as close to full strength as possible so they have the best chance to repeat as champions.

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Brown has been dealing with a knee injury that has given him problems throughout the season. It's something that he has had to manage, playing through the pain.

Porzingis, of all people, understands how important it is to be healthy at this time of year. He wasn't available for most of the playoffs last season, and he wants the full team to be ready.

The Eastern Conference is a lot tougher this season than it was last season, so the entire starting lineup needs to be good to go.

So far this season, Brown is averaging 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.

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