Brad Stevens Provides Update on Celtics' Star Jaylen Brown's Injured Right Hand
For Jaylen Brown, the regular season ended Wednesday when the Celtics beat the Raptors 97-93 in the first of a two-game series Boston swept.
Before the second half of that sweep in Friday's 121-102 thrashing that wasn't as close as the score suggests, Brown spoke with the media in the locker room.
He had his right hand wrapped, save for the thumb, and said he cut his hand picking up a glass vase he knocked over while watering his plants Thursday night, requiring five stitches.
This year's Red Auerbach Award winner expects to be ready for the playoffs, but he's understandably frustrated about the latest development to his shooting hand.
Speaking before the Celtics' regular-season finale against the Hawks, the team's president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, conveyed, "I think he'll be practicing by (the) middle to the end of (the) week and be fine. We're ok there."
Stevens also seized the opportunity to campaign for Brown and Jayson Tatum to make All-NBA teams for their work this season.
"Jayson & Jaylen should be on the All-NBA team ... (Jaylen) has really played his best basketball in the last couple of months, and he was an obvious all-star out of the gate."
Tatum generated 30.1 points per game this season, becoming the first player in franchise history to average at least 30 in a campaign. He also produced 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists, career highs, and had 1.1 thefts per contest.
Tatum made his fourth appearance in the All-Star Game, taking home MVP for his 55-point performance, the most ever in the event's history. He's likely to get voted to the All-NBA's First Team for the second-straight year, and he'll probably finish in the top five for regular-season MVP.
Brown, who earned his second All-Star appearance this season, averaged 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Those are all career highs. Like Tatum, he also swiped 1.1 steals per game.
If he makes an All-NBA team, he becomes eligible for a five-year, $290 million veteran supermax extension this summer. His doing so is Boston's best bet to re-sign Brown before his current contract expires.
If he doesn't earn All-NBA honors this season or next, the most the Celtics can offer him is four years, $189 million, 30 percent max of the salary cap. Under the previous collective bargaining agreement, the most they could sign him for was four years, $161 million.
Further Reading
Celtics and Hawks Shorthanded for Regular-Season Finale
Nick Nurse Provides His Evaluation of Former Raptor and Newest Celtic, Justin Champagnie
Celtics Discuss Malcolm Brogdon's Sixth Man of the Year Candidacy
Joe Mazzulla Reacts to the Celtics Clinching the Two Seed in the East
Jaylen Brown on His Relationship with Jayson Tatum: 'We’re a Part of Each Other’s Destiny'
[Film Room] What the Celtics Did to Slow Down Giannis Antetokounmpo in Blowout vs. Bucks