Jaylen Brown addressed his snub from the All-NBA teams after the Celtics' Game 2 win over the Pacers. Brown threw shade at other players in the NBA, saying that players half as good as him are named to All-NBA teams, but maintained that he wasn't too bothered by it and that he would focus on improving himself and playing out his career on a day-to-day basis (0:29 onwards).
Jaylen Brown: ”I watch guys get praised and anointed, I feel like, (that) are as half as talented as me on either side of the ball. But at this point in my life, I just embrace it. It comes with being who I am and what I stand for, and I ain’t really changing that. I just come out, and I’m grateful to step out on the court each and every night and put my best foot forward. I get better every single year and whether people appreciate it or not it is what it is.”
" I watch guys get praised and anointed. I feel like are as half as talented as me on either side of the ball ... I just embrace it ... I get better every single year and whether people appreciate it or not it is what it is.
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) May 24, 2024
-- Jaylen Brown on motivation after All-NBA Snub… pic.twitter.com/BZfS9Uw01i
Brown also had a more curt response about not making the All-NBA teams when asked to address it more directly, stating that he doesn't have the time to think about it as the Celtics are two wins away from going to the NBA Finals.
Jaylen Brown: "We're two games away from the Finals, so honestly I don't have the time to give a fu*k."
Jaylen Brown on All-NBA:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 24, 2024
"We're two games away from the Finals, so honestly I don't have the time to give a fu*k."
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
pic.twitter.com/UFrPTdKdtu
Brown's focus is on the NBA Finals right now, and it clearly showed during Game 2. Jaylen Brown had a solid performance against the Indiana Pacers, putting up 40 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists as he helped the Celtics win 126-110. It was a big-time showing from one of the Celtics' most important players.
With a daunting road trip to Indiana in his future, Brown will be hoping to replicate his performance from Game 2 on the road to try and help the Celtics close out the series as soon as possible and book their trip to the NBA Finals.
Jayson Tatum was also asked about Jaylen Brown's All-NBA team snub after the game. Tatum noted that he and Brown didn't talk about the snub at all before the game and that they were more focused on preparing for and winning Game 2.
Jayson Tatum: “We didn’t talk about that during shootaround — we just focused on winning the game tonight. We all felt like, internally, that he should have made one of the All-NBA teams, so it was a shame to see that he didn’t.”
Jayson Tatum on Jaylen Brown not making All NBA:
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) May 24, 2024
“We didn’t talk about that during shootaround — we just focused on winning the game tonight. We all felt like, internally, that he should have made one of the All NBA teams, so it was a shame to see that he didn’t.” pic.twitter.com/Ddyo85oIbe
There is a solid argument to make for Brown to have been named to an All-NBA team this season. In 70 games of the regular season, Jaylen Brown averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. For whatever reason, he was not named to any of the three All-NBA teams.
At the end of the day, the playoffs will be more important for Brown and the Celtics. A look at his stats shows that he has improved during the playoffs, averaging 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. Any All-NBA snub will be quickly forgotten if Brown is able to lead his team to the NBA Finals.
The Celtics would like to reach the NBA Finals to avenge their loss in 2022 to the Warriors. For the Celtics to win an NBA championship, they will need Brown to step up and play at a high level for the rest of the playoffs.
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