How China Changed Jaylen Brown

The venerable HoopsHype.com recently labeled Brown as a top-five free agent in July 2020. That’s thanks at least partly to a marketplace devoid of this past summer’s star power, but Brown may have an even stronger hand if Siakam and Hield land extensions in coming days.

“Everybody says that they’re not concerned with it, but in some way, shape or form they are,” Brown, in a recent telephone interview, said of contract talks. “But to be honest, it’s really not overwhelming me or ruling my thoughts. I know what type of talent I have. I’m confident in myself. I’m confident in my ability.

“It’s not something that’s keeping me up at night, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Brown felt sufficiently secure entering this season to shave his head shortly before the start of training camp. The social media stir that caused was quickly forgotten amid all the chaos in China that followed Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey’s Oct. 4 tweet in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong — but the initial response has stayed with Brown.

“It was shocking,” he said. “I didn’t know people cared so much about my hair.”

What Bostonians really care about, of course, is what sort of rebound the Celtics can muster after a season of undeniable tension surrounding the oft-scrutinized leadership of Irving, as well as a second-round playoff exit to Milwaukee that hastened Irving’s free-agency defection to the Nets.

For all the questions about consistency Brown has inspired as a Celtic, his ceiling as a shooter and using his elite athleticism to produce more offensively, his production in 115 career starts is actually very similar to Jayson Tatum’s in 159. Tatum tends to generate more buzz as a potential franchise player, but some talent evaluators see Brown as the more effective (and well-rounded) two-way player.

Brown took the rare step of representing himself upon matriculating to the pros as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 draft. Yet he recently hired the veteran agent Jason Glushon to represent him in this fall’s negotiations with the Celtics.

Glushon also represents Al Horford, whose free-agency defection to Philadelphia in July, combined with Irving’s exit, has likely thrust Brown into a role with expanded responsibility. The size-challenged Celtics, in general, are a team people will be tracking in the Eastern Conference no matter what happens with Brown’s extension negotiations — especially after four Celtics spent the bulk of the summer together with U.S.A. Basketball (Brown, Tatum, Smart and the newcomer Kemba Walker) and with no clear-cut No. 3 seed in the East behind Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/sports/basketball/jaylen-brown-boston-celtics.html?emc=rss&partner=rss