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Jaylen Brown on the current state of the Celtics: 'It's toxic'
Sam Cooper
,Yahoo Sports•<time class="date Fz(11px) Mb(4px) Fz(13px) C(#9ea2af)" datetime="2019-03-05T20:56:10.000Z" itemprop="datePublished" style="color: rgb(158, 162, 175); font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 4px;">March 5, 2019</time>
The Boston Celtics are reeling.
After reaching the Eastern Conference finals without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward last year, the Celtics were expected to make the leap to the top of the East and potentially compete for a title with those two back in the fold this year.
Instead, in the midst of a tumultuous 1-5 stretch coming out of the All-Star break, Brad Stevens’ team sits in the No. 5 spot in the East while rumblings about Irving’s impending free agency continue to simmer.
It’s taking a toll.
Jaylen Brown, an emerging star from last season’s playoff run relegated to a bench role behind Irving and Hayward, described the current environment within the team as “toxic.”
“To be honest, I’m not feeling good at all,” Brown said Monday, according to the Boston Globe. “The losing, it’s not a good feeling. I’m not too good about that.
“Because right now it’s not good. It’s toxic. I can’t really point out one thing. I don’t have all the answers. I’m just going to try to be part of the change. I’m going to try to do my best. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
To fix it, the whole team has to be on the same page, Brown said. And with 18 regular season games remaining entering Tuesday night’s road contest against the Golden State Warriors, he thinks there’s enough time to flip the switch before the playoffs.
The Golden State game is the first of a four-game West Coast road trip for the Celtics, who are currently 38-26 overall and 2.5 games behind the fourth-place Philadelphia 76ers in the East standings. The Milwaukee Bucks (48-16) and Toronto Raptors (46-18) have been the East’s top teams all year long, and the third-place Indiana Pacers are trudging on with injured star Victor Oladipo out for the year.
With as much talent as the Celtics have, it may only take two or three games to flip the switch and get everybody — the seemingly disgruntled Irving included — on the same page. Despite the turmoil, Boston would be a scary draw in the first round, especially for Philadelphia.
The Celtics have had Philly’s number in recent years, and the two sides would meet in the first round if the playoffs began today. But the Sixers are gaining ground on Indiana (just a half-game back in the standings) with Oladipo sidelined, so an Indiana-Boston first-round matchup seems more likely.
But that’s weeks down the road. In the meantime, Brown and company have work to do.
Sam Cooper
,Yahoo Sports•<time class="date Fz(11px) Mb(4px) Fz(13px) C(#9ea2af)" datetime="2019-03-05T20:56:10.000Z" itemprop="datePublished" style="color: rgb(158, 162, 175); font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 4px;">March 5, 2019</time>
The Boston Celtics are reeling.
After reaching the Eastern Conference finals without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward last year, the Celtics were expected to make the leap to the top of the East and potentially compete for a title with those two back in the fold this year.
Instead, in the midst of a tumultuous 1-5 stretch coming out of the All-Star break, Brad Stevens’ team sits in the No. 5 spot in the East while rumblings about Irving’s impending free agency continue to simmer.
It’s taking a toll.
Jaylen Brown, an emerging star from last season’s playoff run relegated to a bench role behind Irving and Hayward, described the current environment within the team as “toxic.”
“To be honest, I’m not feeling good at all,” Brown said Monday, according to the Boston Globe. “The losing, it’s not a good feeling. I’m not too good about that.
“Because right now it’s not good. It’s toxic. I can’t really point out one thing. I don’t have all the answers. I’m just going to try to be part of the change. I’m going to try to do my best. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
To fix it, the whole team has to be on the same page, Brown said. And with 18 regular season games remaining entering Tuesday night’s road contest against the Golden State Warriors, he thinks there’s enough time to flip the switch before the playoffs.
The Golden State game is the first of a four-game West Coast road trip for the Celtics, who are currently 38-26 overall and 2.5 games behind the fourth-place Philadelphia 76ers in the East standings. The Milwaukee Bucks (48-16) and Toronto Raptors (46-18) have been the East’s top teams all year long, and the third-place Indiana Pacers are trudging on with injured star Victor Oladipo out for the year.
With as much talent as the Celtics have, it may only take two or three games to flip the switch and get everybody — the seemingly disgruntled Irving included — on the same page. Despite the turmoil, Boston would be a scary draw in the first round, especially for Philadelphia.
The Celtics have had Philly’s number in recent years, and the two sides would meet in the first round if the playoffs began today. But the Sixers are gaining ground on Indiana (just a half-game back in the standings) with Oladipo sidelined, so an Indiana-Boston first-round matchup seems more likely.
But that’s weeks down the road. In the meantime, Brown and company have work to do.
