After only ten games together, the 7-foot-3 big man and All-NBA wing have developed a rapport.
The Boston Celtics have looked like a well-oiled machine on offense thus far in the 2023–24 campaign. Though Jayson Tatum has led the way, what really sticks out is how much of an impact he has had on the club.
The Celtics have a 24.6 net rating when Tatum is on the court and a -16.1 net rating when he is not. Unfortunately, Tatum’s dominance on his own says a lot about the Celtics starting lineup overall, especially Jaylen Brown, his longtime co-star.
Green With Envy: Are we criticizing Jaylen Brown too much?
Brown has received the most criticism of any Celtics player over the last few seasons. Though Brown scored a ton of points, was selected for the All-Star team, and was included on the All-NBA Second Team the previous season, his playmaking and turnover issues have dominated the narrative.
But with the revamped Celtics this year, Brown has managed to make the most of his skill set on the court while also improving in his areas of greatest weakness with Kristaps Porzingis’ assistance.
The two-man game featuring Brown and Porzingis is rapidly becoming as one of the most potent tools in the Celtics’ attacking toolbox. Of all the two-man combinations on the Celtics, they have played the third-most minutes together, and the Brown-to-Porzingis assist combo is ranked fourth with 10 total.
Regarding the Brown-Porzingis two-man game, head coach Joe Mazzulla stated, “We work on it.” “Those two guys are involved in a few set plays, and they get the job done well every day with their reads.”
Their relationship has been developing off the court as well. During Monday’s Celtics shootaround, Brown disclosed that he and Porzingis share the same building. Porzingis is more humorous than most people realize, he continued, and their bond is growing, despite one intriguing oddity.
Brown remarked, “He winks at you every time he sees you.” “Dude, why are you winking at me?”
During their victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night, they displayed their unity on the floor. The opposition was completely taken aback by the Brown-Porzingis combination, which was in full force.
As Mazzulla pointed out, the pick-and-roll is the best offensive flow for Brown and Porzingis since it gets both players to the same side of the court.
Jakob Poeltl is drawn to Porzingis on this play just by his presence behind the three-point arc, but the big man from the Celtics rushes over to Brown as soon as he gets the ball.
After Porzingis passes the ball to him, he slips the screen and dives for the hoop. Poeltl tries to stop Brown’s drive, but Chris Boucher finds Porzingis for an uncontested layup since he can’t recover quickly enough.
Brown now has alternatives that he hardly had last year because to Porzingis’ dual skill set as a cutter and shooter. Brown can now run pick-and-roll with a new dynamic weapon that takes the pressure off of delivering an unbelievable throw, allowing him to concentrate on making the correct read.
Nevertheless, Brown had some terrific touch to get the ball past Boucher’s 7-foot-3 wingspan and into the hands of his Latvian teammate, who is also 7-foot-3. The Latvian player displayed wonderful patience near the rim.
“I enjoy playing with him,” Brown was praised by Porzingis. “Many of the scenarios are ones he develops. He attracts a lot of attention, which simply makes opportunities for me more abundant.
The way the two got along was further demonstrated on Monday night when Boston defeated the New York Knicks. The Knicks are eliminated as soon as Brown starts to fade away and Mitchell Robinson is compelled to play up on him, even though Julius Randle jumps over the screen to cover for Brown’s three-point attempt.
Mazzulla is unable to call every play when Tatum is not participating in the game, and he won’t always be on the floor. In Tatum’s absence, offense may be generated primarily through actions such as these.
The Celtics’ reliable offense might be solved without Tatum if Brown and Porzingis were paired more frequently. Even though they have only played ten games together, they already have a nearly flawless working relationship. Imagine what it may have looked like at the conclusion of the season.
Porzingis grinned broadly and said, “I think our chemistry is just going to get so much better. We’re still in the beginning stages.” You’re just going to see, I’m telling you. It is going to improve greatly.
Brown’s lightning-fast tempo changes give Porzingis a variety of alternatives to work with and the Celtics offense an abundance of offensive opportunities.
He’s clearly pretty explosive, Porzingis remarked. Simply his physique. Given his attributes, he can accomplish a great deal on the floor.
As if one alteration wasn’t enough, Brown and Porzingis returned to this appearance later on in the contest and made another alteration.
Scottie Barnes overplays the handoff this time because he is prepared for the play. When Brown spots him dozing off, he quickly makes a backdoor cut. He’s found by Porzingis with a clean bounce pass.
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