Jaylen Brown is in a slump - was it something Marcus Smart said?
@LucidSportsFan do you think its partly because of the encounter with Smart? we don't want Jaylen to lose the confidence he was building up— The Little Guy! (@TheLittleGuy4) March 18, 2017
Ever since he and Marcus Smart got into it over Brown (presumably) running the wrong play, Brown has turned in a pair of lackluster performances. Given the strides he's been making up to this point, it's only natural to wonder if perhaps the exchange had something to do with Jaylen's diminished production. Since coming back from a strained hip post- All-Star Break, Brown was averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 boards and .7 assists per game over the ten games before the Minnesota Timberwolves tilt where the exchange between Smart and Jaylen took place. Over that game and the two since, Brown has had a precipitous drop-off, logging 2.3 points, three boards, and precisely ZERO assists per game.
Apart from what the players themselves are willing to share, we have no idea what is actually behind the rookie's recent decline, but there's no reason to believe we should be worried, even if that heated interaction is to blame. Brown IS a rookie, after all, and even the best, most seasoned players in the league hit rough patches a few games long. Three games is hardly something to worry about (even if there were some ruffled feathers or bruised egos) so maybe we should grab some popcorn, enjoy the show and relax a little before we start jumping to conclusions - a point of view quite possibly not lost on Jaylen himself:
Patience is virtue— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) March 20, 2017
For more stories about Jaylen Brown on CelticsLife, click here. For more by Justin, click here.
Photo via CSNNE.com
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