Jaylen Brown eager to hep new Celtics nucleus jell this season

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/20170919/jaylen-brown-eager-to-hep-new-celtics-nucleus-jell-this-season



Jaylen Brown eager to hep new Celtics nucleus jell this season

HIDE CAPTION
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, pictured during a game with the Nets last April, averaged 17.2 minutes a game as a rookie but should have the chance to earn a much bigger role in the training camp that begins next week. [AP Photo/Charles Krupa]



By Scott Souza
ssouza@wickedlocal.com


Posted at 8:26 PM
Updated at 8:26 PM




Jaylen Brown is one of only four players remaining from the squad that won 53 games in the regular season and two playoff series.

BOSTON — After Jaylen Brown and Al Horford walked off the floor together for the final time last season following the Eastern Conference semifinals, Brown said the two decided to stay in contact over the summer as a pair of Atlanta-area residents looking to help the Celtics achieve greater things.

Little did either know that when they both returned to Boston for the new season, they would be two of only four players remaining from the squad that won 53 games in the regular season and two playoff series.

“I was working with Al, and having conversations with Al, when I was in Atlanta,” said Brown during a “Stay in School” event with Boston Public Schools students on Tuesday. “He and I were having numerous conversations about how crazy everything has been and all the changes. He’s been in the league 10-plus years and he said he’s never seen anything like this before. I was interested in his perspective.”

Great turnover, however, could breed great opportunity for the second-year wing player. After averaging 17.2 minutes a game as a rookie, Brown should have the chance to earn a much bigger role in the training camp that begins next week.

While Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward present a pair of All-Star additions, and third-overall pick Jayson Tatum will also look to vie for time right away, the numbers crunch for minutes at shooting guard and small forward should be loosened up a bit as the Celtics moved on from Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Jonas Jerebko and Isaiah Thomas.

Brown could be in a battle for a starting position depending on where Celtics coach Brad Stevens decides to play Hayward and whether he chooses to continue to deploy Marcus Smart in the sixth-man role he manned last season.

“Brad’s going to do whatever he feels is best for the team and I support that,” he said. “Whatever he decides is what he decides. But I’m here. I’m ready to work. I’m ready to guard. So it’s going to be a good year.”

Brown said he was happy to have his first talk with his newest teammate in Irving on Tuesday, as Irving arrived in Boston one week ahead of next week’s opening practice at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. Brown even claimed he is open to hearing the four-time All-Star’s more unconventional theories.


“I am interested in having a conversation about whether the earth is round or not,” said Brown, who took a post-graduate course at the University of California-Berkley his first semester there, with a smile. “I am not ready to make my comment or statement on that. But as for what my eyes have told me, the world may appear to be flat. Kyrie may very well have a point.”


While he may or may not be reserving judgement on the scientific proof of the earth’s shape, he is leaving little doubt about his eagerness to hit the court officially with his drastically redesigned team next week.

“I’m completely locked in,” said the 20-year-old. “I can’t wait for the season to start. We’ve got a lot of great guys that are joining our program. There are a lot of guys that we love who left. There are a lot of new things going on. I am just happy to be a part of it. I am happy to still be here as a Celtic.”

Brown did caution not to expect too much, too soon with the new roster. But he expressed confidence that Stevens will find a way to make it new work with a commitment from the players.

“It’s going to take some time to jell,” he said, “to get the offense flowing right, to get the kinks out, and that’s OK. We were talking about it today with the kids here from the Boston Public Schools.

“One of the words was perseverance. That’s something that we are going to have to show this year because we’re going to need it.”



bob
MY NOTE:  Souza is a professional and is usually pretty careful, but that's 'gel', not "jell".  One means to come together and firm up and the other is to turn into jelly, which is not firm.

Sorry, one of my "Monk moments".  Seeing professional writers not paying attention to his words bothers me like seeing a doctor being careless with a scalpel.

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