Jaylen Brown: ‘I’m playing the best basketball of my life’

In one of their most important early-season signs of growth, the Celtics — who have a long track record of falling apart once Tatum hits the bench — have outscored opponents by 6.4 points per 100 possessions without Tatum on the court. Brown, who has played 172 of the 239 non-Tatum minutes, often handles more of the playmaking during those stretches. He appreciates the additional playmaking opportunities the coaches have given him. “I’ve had to earn it,” Brown said. “I’ve had to earn everything. I think they’ve noticed my emphasis on getting guys the ball, and they’ve noticed my turnovers have dropped too, my carelessness sometimes with the ball has gone down. So I’ve had to earn it. Even in Year 8 of your career, it’s great to be able to come to work and you have to earn every privilege that you get.” -via The Athletic / December 7, 2023