The defending champions, the Boston Celtics, crashed out of the season following the round 2 defeat against the New York Knicks. The Knicks had them in 6 games. At 3-2, the onus was on Jaylen Brown to fill the shoes of Jayson Tatum, who was out injured, and bring the Celtics on level with the Knicks. But Brown failed miserably and in a result the Knicks went through to the Eastern Conference final.
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Stephen A. Smith Criticizes Jaylen Brown
Brown had an underwhelming round 2 series, and the Celtics bore the brunt of it. The ninth-year veteran’s recent playoff blunder has many questioning if Brown can ever be the first option on a contending team. Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe the four-time All-Star is capable right now, despite his immense talent. “I certainly won’t say he can’t be because he has the talent to be [a first option]”, Smith said of Brown on First Take.
“I’m a fan of this brother … But let me say this to y’all, [Brown] can be, but he doesn’t deserve that distinction, not right now,” Stephen A. continued. “I know he’s a champion, I know he’s an NBA Finals MVP, the brother can play. But there are two key moments in his career that will ultimately stain him.”
The eminent analyst called out Brown's disappearing act in Game 7 of the 2023 Western Conference Finals. Stephen A. then pointed to the Celtics’ most recent game, a blowout loss in a win or go home situation. “It was not a loss, it was an annihilation, a beatdown where the Boston Celtics looked like they quit,” Smith said. “They were getting beat so bad, they were so humbled, that they just surrendered.”