Boston Celtics: 5 takeaways from the first 5 games
The first couple of weeks of the NBA season have been up and down for the Boston Celtics. Here, we’ll talk about what we’ve learned so far this season.
The Boston Celtics made the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in four years last season. In what was an extraordinarily different season, the Celtics lost the series in six games to the Miami Heat in the NBA Bubble. It was a devastating blow to this talented roster, who looked like they could go all the way at times during bubble-play.
As we enter a much different season this time out, the Celtics have already played five games. They won’t be the favorites for the title this year by any means, but they’re certainly a dark horse with the array of talent that they have, and the ability to show up in big-time games. The ceiling for this team this season is unknown, but it should be an exciting one. In this article, we’re going to be looking at five takeaways we have from this opening set of games.
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1. Jaylen Brown will be an All-Star this season for the Boston Celtics
Yes, it has only been five games, but I don’t think this take is too much of an exaggeration. You could’ve made a strong case for Jaylen Brown being an All-Star last season, but there weren’t really any players who deserved to be left out. This season will be different, and Brown will play himself into being selected.
Through the first five games of the year, Brown is averaging 28.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game from the wing. He’s shooting 56.3 percent from the field, and 44.0 percent from 3-point range. His defense has been as astounding as ever, and his hustle plays have helped the Celtics in big spots. He’s averaging 1.8 steals per game, including one that helped seal the win over the Pacers on Tuesday night.
Perhaps Brown’s best performance in a Celtic jersey came on Wednesday as the Grizzlies visited TD Garden, where Jaylen was completely unguardable. Through three quarters, he shot 15-21 from the field, 7-10 from beyond the arc. He ended the night with a career-high 42 points over just 29 minutes on the floor, leading the Celtics to another important victory.
The NBA is as stacked as ever from a talent perspective, and it’s fair to say that Jaylen Brown is a superstar in his own right. As long as he continues to play the way he has been, there’s no doubt that he’ll earn his first All-Star honor this season.