The Boston Celtics will be without Jaylen Brown when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, March 18. The All-Star forward is reportedly dealing with a “right knee posterior impingement.”
During the Celtics March 15 win over the Nets, Brown left the game early in the second half due to back spasms. He had also missed the previous game, a win over the Miami Heat, due to his knee injury.
Celtics fans likely have nothing to worry about. We’re reaching the point of the season where load management becomes a genuine buzzword. Brown has navigated knee issues for the past few years and has always delivered when his number was called. Last season, he won the Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP awards.
Still, the Celtics will need Brown to be at his best if they want to defend their championship. He’s arguably their best point-of-attack defender and their most explosive rim finisher. Throughout this season, he’s honed his playmaking skills, too, especially when making reads that are one or two passes away after he forces a defensive collapse.
Brown has played in 56 games this season. He’s averaging 22.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists, shooting 45.9% from the field and 31.6% from deep.
Celtics Jayson Tatum Also on Injury Report
Jayson Tatum is also on the Celtics injury report ahead of the March 18 matchup against Brooklyn. The All-NBA forward is listed as questionable due to “right knee tendinopathy.”
During Boston’s March 10 win over the Utah Jazz, Tatum watched on from the sidelines. Tatum has always made his feelings on wanting to play every game clear. During a postgame media availability on March 15, Tatum admitted that there’s often pushback from his side when the issue of load management arises.
“A lot of head-butting, for sure,” Tatum said. “… I’ve talked about the value that I’ve put into playing in road games. I’ve been very blessed and fortunate to come into arenas — I see a lot of Tatum jerseys. I understand it might be for their birthday, Christmas gift or whatever.”
Tatum has been playing at a borderline MVP level all season. However, if the Celtics feel like his better served sitting out the upcoming game against Brooklyn, it will undoubtedly be because the coaching staff already has one eye on the playoffs.
Kristaps Porzingis Opens Up On Mystery Illness
Kristaps Porzingis recently returned to the Celtics rotation following an eight-game absence. When speaking to the media following Boston’s March 15 win over Brooklyn, the big man detailed the toll his mystery illness had taken on his body.
“I haven’t been this sick for probably ever in my life,” Porziņģis said. “So I was really, for a week really just laying at home trying to recover. And after that, I had lingering fatigue, and I still have it a little bit, but at least I’m now getting into shape to be able to play. But after each workout, I was boom, big crash. I was really, really fatigued. Like, not normal. So, yeah, it’s taking a little bit longer, but I’m doing everything, all my bio-hacking stuff that I know, and just trying to get back in the best shape possible.”
Porzingis has struggled to stay healthy this season. However, if he can be fit for the entire playoff run, Celtics fans will likely forget his regular-season absence. After all, ‘The Unicorn’ is Boston’s biggest X-Factor in their hunt for a franchise 19th championship.
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