Jaylen Brown: ‘We’ll see’ if hand injury affects shooting touch after stitches were removed
Brown injured his hand picking up broken glass. He's not quite sure how it will affect his shooting.
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Jaylen Brown said his grandmother predicted that the Celtics would play his hometown Atlanta Hawks in the first round in the first round of the playoffs a month ago.
Because of Atlanta’s win over Miami in the play-in game, the Celtics dodged a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat.
“I was like, ‘how do you know?'” Brown said Friday at practice. “She was like, ‘trust me.’ So, I guess you can thank my grandma for that.”
In a more serious revelation, the All-Star guard and Marietta, Georgia native said that he had five stitches removed from his hand. He had tape on his hand during Friday’s practice.
The injury occurred when he dropped a vase while watering plants and tried to clean up the broken glass, according to Brown. He called the injury “unfortunate” but said he’s determined not to let it stop him.
“It’s feeling a lot better now, that’s for sure,” Brown said. “Just working, getting some reps in, and getting ready for tomorrow.”
Brown said he anticipates being “fine” for Saturday’s playoff opener at TD Garden. He’s been trying different methods to manage the pain, and said the protective gear he wore on Friday is the one he feels most confident in.
When asked how the injury has affected his shooting touch, Brown said: “It definitely gives it a little different feel to it, but we’ll see.”
Brown said he hasn’t had to alter the way he shoots, dribbles, or passes. He hasn’t had any restrictions at practice since returning on Thursday.
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound guard recalled playing with an injury on his shooting hand in 2019.
“I think I sprained the palm or whatever and I had like a bruise,” Brown said. “It affected my shooting a little bit. But, this is a little bit different and it’s a little different time of the year so I think you have to try to be mentally as tough as possible and come out and help your team win.”
Brown is averaging the most points (26.6) and the highest field-goal percentage (49.1) in his career. He remains a key part of Boston’s offense. The Celtics are taking on Atlanta, which is third in the league in points per game.
“They’re a tough team. I think they’ve got a lot of athleticism that could bother us,” Brown said. “We’ve got to come out and handle our business and be detailed. They’ve got a lot of energy. They’re hungry. They’re young. I’ve been in that position, being the underdog, being the young team, looking to make a name for yourself. So we’ve got to be ready to go.”
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