After players-only meeting, Jaylen Brown says Celtics ‘didn’t need’ Marcus Smart’s public criticism

After the Boston Celtics‘ fourth-quarter collapse towards the Chicago Bulls, Marcus Smart’s public criticism, a reportedly emotional players-only meeting which may not have helped issues and a win over the Orlando Magic, Jaylen Brown stated the workforce is attempting to maneuver ahead. 

In his first public feedback since Monday’s recreation towards the Bulls, Brown addressed Good’s fiery post-game press convention.

“Clearly within the midst of attempting to win video games, you already know, it is one thing that we in all probability did not want,” Brown stated Wednesday. “However all of us talk and discuss to one another, so we’re all looking for methods to win. And I am open to any and the whole lot when guys convey it to me, teaching workers. So I am all the time watching movie, attempting to higher myself and be a greater basketball participant and discover methods to make my teammates higher.”

The basis of all of that is Good saying that Brown and Jayson Tatum had been not actively making their teammates higher, or at the least that the workforce was getting too Tatum-and-Brown-centric in necessary moments. According to ESPN, this was a topic of dialog on the assembly. 

“Workforce assembly, you already know, simply a possibility to speak as a bunch, get some communication going and transfer ahead,” Brown stated. “On the finish of the day, we have been taking part in basketball collectively for a very long time, all of us, particularly our core group, so when it comes all the way down to it, it is all about looking for methods to win. And that is what many of the dialog was about.”

Boston coach Ime Udoka downplayed the “assembly” a part of the players-only assembly. He stated that the gamers talked, with out coaches current, earlier than a beforehand deliberate workforce dinner. 

“It wasn’t actually a players-only assembly,” Udoka stated. “We had a workforce dinner scheduled means earlier than something occurred. That was deliberate for some weeks now. And we gave the gamers their time earlier than the teaching workers and everyone else got here down, so that they had about half-hour on their very own. Nevertheless it wasn’t something scheduled by them, it was what we already had deliberate.”

After the 92-79 win in Orlando, Celtics middle Al Horford described it as a “gathering” in a walk-off interview with NBC Sports’ Abby Chin. “All good,” Horford stated. “We will be advantageous. It is a lengthy season. Our guys are aggressive, we need to win and we’re taking steps to be higher.” In his post-game press convention, Horford stated it was “good to interrupt bread collectively, hang around. Most significantly, you already know, [we] talked about ensuring that we come out right here and have a great outing tonight.”

So far as the substance of Good’s criticism goes, it is no secret that Brown and Tatum have taken on the lion’s share of Boston’s playmaking duty. It is no secret, both, that the Celtics’ offense can get stagnant when the ball is of their arms. For each of them, the subsequent step is about playmaking for others. 

“I’ve preached that from Day 1 with Jayson and Jaylen and guys rising in that space, being playmakers, so it is stuff we continuously are displaying on movie, speaking about,” Udoka stated. “So it is nothing new so far as what we now have proven and finished. they usually’ve finished an amazing job rising in these areas. So Marcus and Jaylen, Jayson have a historical past collectively of being collectively for a very long time, and each workforce I’ve ever been on or coached has had moments the place they butt heads. And so it is nothing that we’ve not talked about, no space that they have not proven enchancment and progress in, and so we’ll go away it at that. It is one thing that is addressed and frequently preached with these guys. Not attempting to blow it out of proportion.”

Good’s feedback will put Brown and Tatum’s decision-making beneath the microscope, but it surely’s not like that is the one challenge Boston faces. I am extra shocked by Tatum’s inefficiency, and Udoka is probably going extra involved concerning the workforce’s below-average protection.