Watch: Jaylen Brown on video
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla spoke publicly for the first time about the trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, telling reporters in Las Vegas that he is “still processing” the deal, per Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston.
“Obviously, when something like that happens it’s not a black and white type of thing,” Mazzulla said. “The part that I hope gets talked about more, and the part that we wanna focus on the most is really just the respect, the appreciation and the gratitude for what he did for the Celtics for 10 years.” He went further on what Brown meant to his own development: “He made me a better coach. I know that for a fact. The way he pushed me. The way he pushed himself. The way he pushed the locker room.”
Why it matters
Mazzulla also confirmed he had no input on the decision, echoing president of basketball operations Brad Stevens’ earlier statement that Jayson Tatum was not consulted either. “Brad comes to you and talks to you and gives you a breakdown and an understanding,” Mazzulla said. “I think Brad is the absolute best at what he does, and there’s just a level of trust that goes into that.”
The franchise reading between the lines here: this is the organization closing ranks around a decision that two of its legends — Robert Parish and Paul Pierce — have already publicly questioned. Mazzulla’s most revealing comment was about what comes next. “We have a different roster. We have a different identity now,” he said, adding that the season’s end — a blown 3-1 first-round lead against the very Sixers team Brown now joins — “wasn’t good enough, and that starts with me.”
Boston drafted Brown third overall in 2016; the return was Paul George, two first-round picks and two seconds. Mazzulla said the team will not ask anyone to replace Brown’s production directly.
The fantasy takeaway sits with the shot distribution left behind. Brown’s departure frees roughly 20 field-goal attempts per game across Boston’s rotation, and Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are the obvious beneficiaries in usage terms. George’s fantasy value depends entirely on health and how many of those wing minutes he absorbs — a bounce-back candidate at a discounted draft price, but one carrying real risk.
