If I had to power rank the worst times of the season to be injured, “right before the playoffs start” would be second behind “during the playoffs.” Unfortunately, we have reached the former, and Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is still battling the lingering knee injury that has plagued him for a large part of this season.
There’s no getting around it: JB hasn’t looked his sharpest over the last month or so. He’s averaging 18.6 points per game, about four less than his season average of 22.4, and has NOT shot the ball well. He’s converted on just 43.7% of his attempts from the field and 28.6% of his threes since March 1.
Brown’s ailment was a major theme throughout his postgame press conference Wednesday after returning from a one-game absence to take on the Miami Heat.
Why?
Well, many would say that one game may not have been a long enough break, considering that Boston is essentially locked into the two seed in the East and has next to nothing left to play for.
Ironically, Brown does have an incentive to continue playing. If he plays in five of the last six games for the Cs, he’ll secure eligibility for All-NBA and All-Defense selections.
When asked about the 65-game threshold influencing his decision to keep playing through pain, he responded with a simple “no.”
If award recognition isn’t a factor, then why continue battling through pain in matchups that won’t mean anything in two weeks?
I am not a doctor. I’m just a guy with a keyboard. However, I’m inclined to agree with my guy Cam Tabatabaie here.
I’ve never heard of anyone playing through knee pain until it’s suddenly feeling better….
Perhaps it’s an issue that needs fixing in the offseason, and rest can’t fully solve the issue, but surely avoiding any extra wear and tear isn’t a bad thing
— Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) April 3, 2025
The last thing anyone wants to see is Jaylen having to miss out on the team’s most important games of the season this spring.
Sitting out just seems like the safest play here.
Unfortunately, this just may be the new (temporary) normal for Brown. Whatever he is dealing with might not be able to heal in the short period between now and Game 1 of the playoffs.
The best way forward may actually be just getting used to battling through the ailment, which is what it sounds like the plan is.
“I was in some pain today, but just pushing through it,” he explained. “Trying to find ways to still be aggressive and add value to the team. But just something I’ve got to work through and manage.”
JB added that he’s been working with doctors and specialists to formulate the best plan for his knee.
The aforementioned stats from the month of March aren’t fun to think about. Jaylen hasn’t been able to consistently play at the same level as he did last year, when he won Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP en route to Banner 18.
Boston relied on the big outings that they got from No. 7. They were able to count on him every time they needed a big bucket, like in Game 1 of the Conference Finals when he forced overtime with a clutch three, or in Game 3 of the Finals when he sealed a win for the Cs.
Now, I don’t want to sound like I’m saying he won’t be able to be a factor this spring. I’m writing this after what might’ve been his best game over the past month. Brown was legitimately good against the Heat on Wednesday. He scored an efficient 20 points, grabbed nine boards, and even dished four assists. Plus, JB was the one on the floor leading Boston back from the dead in the second half.
He and the boys weren’t quite able to resurrect the evening, but they sure made it interesting.
Jaylen did his job, that’s for sure.
There also may be something to the “adjust to the pain” strategy we’ve been seeing. Brown has played in four of the Celtics’ last five games and has been better equipped to take care of business.
His overall scoring is still lower than his season average, at 17.8 points per game, but the efficiency is really encouraging. JB has made the most of his 13 shot attempts per outing with 51.9/36.4 shooting splits.
With the amount of talent on this roster, Joe Mazzulla and the Cs should be able to get away with asking less of their star wing in the playoffs, as long as he keeps being ready when his number is called.
Over these final six games, Brown’s continued efficiency is something to watch. Maybe he’s getting more comfortable with the pain, after all.
