The Boston Celtics are heading into next season without one of their best players, Jayson Tatum, who suffered an injury in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks. This season, many players will need to step up, including Payton Pritchard.
“Whether the five-year veteran will step into the starting lineup alongside Derrick White is a hot topic of conversation about the Celtics. There’s a compelling case for that to happen. Even if it doesn’t, a situation that could change before the trade deadline passes, he averaged 28.4 minutes last season; at a minimum, don’t expect that to decrease,” Hardwood Houdini’s Bobby Krivitsky wrote.
Another player being called on to step up is none other than Jaylen Brown, who has been a staple on this team for some time now.
“They will compete in the East but they can’t win a championship without one of their best players,” Markieff Morris said. “This is a time for Jaylen Brown to come into his own. He’s always been a good player in this league. Now it’s time for him to take the step and be a 1A.”
While Brown is beloved and still has quite some time before becoming a free agent again, he admitted that his grandma has tried to recruit him to his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks.
“You never know. I feel you, I think my grandma would too,” Brown said on the Big Tigger Show.
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“Your grandma been talking to you about it?” Jazzy McBee asked Brown.
“Yeah,” Brown responded.
While he certainly doesn’t shut down the idea, he isn’t necessarily saying he would leave Boston. He is simply pointing out that his grandma would love for him to come back closer to home — but every family wants that. Brown signed an extension in 2023, so he won’t be a free agent for some time, but he could already have his eyes on his next destination. Time will truly tell on this one, but the discussion has been had.
