Jaylen Brown‘s knee injury has hindered the Boston Celtics‘ postseason preparations. The All-Star forward is dealing with a bone bruise but has been trying to play through the pain.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, there’s no timeline on Brown’s injury. As such, he will likely suit up during the playoffs but be well below 100%. Therefore, more pressure is going to fall onto the shoulders of Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis. The star duo are more than capable of leading the Celtics to a second-straight championship.
Nevertheless, former Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins believes Brown’s injury has created the perfect opportunity for Tatum to cement his status as a superstar.
“When I look at what Jayson Tatum has brought to the table,” Perkins said during an April 10 episode of ESPN’s First Take. “And I look at how he has a chip on his shoulder, he’s gonna remind the world, especially with Jaylen Brown not being 100% of who the hell he is, I think this is the postseason for him to not only go out there and get another championship, but to go get a Finals MVP, and to make sure he remind everybody that when LeBron and Steph leave, y’all better mention my name for it being the next face of the NBA.”
Tatum has been excellent this season. In 71 games, Tatum is averaging 27 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6 assists. He’s shooting at a 45.3% clip from the field and 34.4% clip from the perimeter.
Perkins Expects Celtics to Win Another Title
During an April 8 edition of ESPN’s First Take, Perkins backed the Celtics to repeat as champions.
“I have a better chance of finding a salad in a donut shop.” Perkins said. “It’s not happening…Let me explain why. 1. The Celtics were disrespected after they won their last championship, so they’re p****d off. 2. They brought back every single player from that championship squad…Their others, outside of Tatum, Brown and the rest of the starting five, has gotten better…I don’t see a single team in the NBA that’s gonna beat this team healthy in a seven-game series. Not one.”
Brown’s injury has undoubtedly made life tougher for Boston. However, with their strength in depth, and both Tatum and Porzingis healthy, there should have no problem making another run to the NBA Finals.
Torrey Craig Praises Celtics’ Attention to Detail
Torrey Craig joined the Celtics in February, shortly after being waived by the Chicago Bulls. The veteran forward recently discussed the acclimation process during an interview with CelticsBlog’s Noa Dalzell.
“The guys are great, the coaches are great, and it’s a winning culture,” Craig said. “I’m glad to be a part of it…Coming here, there’s more attention to details of switching defenses every so often, and the way they guard guys and the way they game plan for teams. So that’s been the most difficult part — trying to learn everything on the fly. But, I’ve been here long enough now, I pretty much got to understanding of how they do things, and I’m pretty much caught up.”
Craig could have a bigger role than expected if Brown struggles to recover from his current injury. Even now, at this late stage of his career, Craig can provide some reliable defense and scoring off the catch. However, Boston needs Brown to be in the rotation for the best chance of competing for a championship.
