BRIGHTON - Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown said on Wednesday afternoon that he expects to come off the bench in his return to the floor against the New York Knicks on Thursday night. This will be Brown’s first action in three games, but he says he likes what the current starting five is doing, and doesn’t expect that group to change.
“I’m expecting it to keep going how it’s been going,” said Brown. “Smart and Morris have been playing extremely well. Our team is looking completely different in the initial start of the game. ... However we can keep this going, playing the right way, continuing to win, I’m 100% for it.” Brown added that he hasn’t spoke to Brad Stevens and the medical staff on specifics yet, so he doesn’t know whether or not he’ll be on a minute restriction.
The 22-year-old seems to be taking a very wise approach to his potential new role in the rotation, saying that he can look at Gordon Hayward as an example of how to handle coming off the bench.
“At the end of the day, it’s basketball,” Brown said. “I believe in my ability, the coaching staff believes in my ability, so I think coming off the bench, I think people make it a bigger deal than what it really is. People make it a bigger deal than what it really is. At the end of the day, it’s basketball. Hayward came off the bench the other day and had 30 points. That’s a mindset thing. That’s a choice.”
Stevens says that he will unveil the team’s official starting five during pregame on Thursday night, but added that the team is “set on what they’re going to do tomorrow,” which most likely hints at the team sticking with the same starting five.
In terms of Brown’s availability, the Celtics head coach said Brown went through the last two days of practice with no issues, and he should be good to go come Thursday night pending a setback.
The Celtics take on the Knicks tomorrow night at 8:00 PM EST at TD Garden.
Listen to everything Brown and Stevens had to say below: