Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is still dealing with a bone bruise in his right knee, but will not be on a minutes restriction during the team’s first-round playoff series with the Orlando Magic, which gets underway on Sunday afternoon.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters on Saturday that Brown looks “good” and was a full participant in practice.
“He was able to do everything, no limitations,” Mazzulla said. “He’s been great, physically, mentally, really preparing himself, ready to go. So [I] love the week that he had.”
Brown’s knee has been bothering him since February, and he recently received multiple injections in his knee to relieve pain and promote healing, according to Ramona Shelburne. He sat out of the Celtics’ final three regular season games, and has not crossed the 30-minute mark since March 12 in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Celtics went 19-3 down the stretch to become the first defending champion to reach the 60-win mark since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, and earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. As they begin their playoff journey, their only serious concern appears to be Brown’s health.
Last year’s Finals MVP, Brown was not at his best this season. His 22.2 points per game were his fewest since 2020, and his 32.4% mark from 3-point range was a career-worst. And due in large part to his knee, he only appeared in 63 games. While the Celtics were able to fill in the gaps in the regular season, they’ll need Brown closer to his 2024 postseason self if they want to pull off a repeat.
Brown seems to have accepted that his knee will not be 100% for this playoff run.
“I’m not here to talk about my knee, guys. It is what it is,” Brown said Saturday. “I’m focused on Orlando.”
Those comments echoed ones he made earlier this month.
“It is what it is. It sucks,” Brown said in early April. “Wish I could share more details, but whatever my team needs, whatever I can do, whatever I got, I’mma give. I’m looking forward to just taking it one day at a time, and I’m hopeful that some things will improve over the course of these next two weeks or so.”
Brown has had plenty of big games since his knee first started bothering him, including a 31-point outing in a win over the Phoenix Suns on April 4. It’s clear he can still dial it up, but can he get to the level the Celtics need him at on a regular basis, especially as the number of games and intensity ramps up?
That’s the big question. For now, Brown and Co. are just trying to take things one day at a time.
“Of course we know what we’re trying to accomplish, but I think our mindset is just what’s in front of us, not looking down the line, not overlooking nobody,” Brown said. “Our goal is [Game 1]. That’s the focus. Nothing else. Not next week, not six weeks, not 10 years from now. Just Sunday.”