Al Horford praised Jaylen Brown’s defensive effort throughout the season and argues that his colleague deserved First Team All-Defense this year.
Before being cleared to play against the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden, Jaylen Brown had missed two of the Celtics’ previous five games and was listed as questionable on Wednesday.
So, what is the nature of Brown’s ailment and how does it affect his performance on the court?
Following the Celtics’ 135-100 victory over the Thunder, Brown provided an update on his injured left hand, which appeared to hurt him at points throughout the game.
“I think I’ve got a sprain or strain on a ligament in my hand,” Brown told reporters. “But I think it’s okay. It’s not something I’m particularly concerned about going forward.
“It troubled me a little tonight, but part of it is working through it, playing through it, because it provides you more knowledge later on if things worsen. But I don’t think there is anything to be concerned about.”
Brown struggled in the opening three quarters, making five mistakes and scoring only eight points on 4 of 14 shooting (0 of 5 from 3-point range). At least one of those giveaways occurred with his left hand, which may worry Celtics supporters who recall Brown struggling with ball-handling last season.
However, the three-time All-Star replied with a tremendous fourth quarter, scoring 15 points on 5 of 6 shooting with two assists and no turnovers to finish with 23 points and four assists.
That final quarter instilled confidence that Brown’s left hand ailment would not be a problem come playoff time. The 27-year-old is having probably his best all-around season, averaging 23.2 points and a career-high 50.2
“Being very unbiased, very clear, (Jaylen) is First-Team All-Defense,” Celtics veteran Al Horford said of Brown following Wednesday’s victory, as seen in the video above. “You look at what he’s doing individually and the impact that he makes on the defensive end … he deserves to be in that position.”
The Celtics won the NBA’s top overall seed with their win Wednesday night, so don’t be surprised if they play it safe with Brown’s injury and keep him out of a few games down the stretch of the regular season.
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