[ESPN] But high-ranking officials are believers in Brown. One front office executive whose team faced Boston in the past few years in the playoffs said he feared Brown because he added an element of toughness the Celtics didn’t have otherwise.
“What’s their belief when s— gets tough? What sets are they running?” the coach said. “Who’s the leader? Does Jaylen Brown become the vocal leader? Is it Bron? What about Maxey, is he one of the guys? There’s the dynamic stuff that’s more important than the physical stuff.”
Another assistant coach believes that will be worked out, perhaps sooner than expected.
“They all know they’re going to have to sacrifice,” he said. “The respect for each other’s individual games is already established, and the crown will be passed around and understood.”
Brown’s adjustment to Philadelphia could be the most jarring given the role he played last season in Boston. Controlling the amount of possessions – Brown’s 35.1% usage rate was third in the NBA last season – led to his best statistical season even if it had a less-than-satisfying finish due to the Celtics’ playoff elimination and the ensuing trade rumors.
If the Knicks are an example, it took a full season and a half for Towns to be used properly, culminating in the postseason when he was the key factor in their record 13-game playoff winning streak.
But high-ranking officials are believers in Brown. One front office executive whose team faced Boston in the past few years in the playoffs said he feared Brown because he added an element of toughness the Celtics didn’t have otherwise. One Western Conference general manager took it a step further, believing Brown would fit in “pretty seamlessly” into the matchups with the Knicks.
“The benefit of Brown is his massive defensive versatility, in my opinion,” the GM said. “He can defend up or down the spectrum. He capably defends the 5 at times because of his lower-body strength and feet. It’s hard to see a spot where he’s negatively compromised.”