‘I have no ego’: Veteran forward Oshae Brissett says he has ‘nothing to prove’ as he joins Celtics
The 25-year-old forward signed with Boston earlier this offseason and could end up being Grant Williams's replacement.
After playing the last few seasons with a Pacers squad that missed the playoffs, Oshae Brissett is joining a Celtics team that is looking to finally get over the hump and win a title.
Brissett seems to be ready to help out in that quest.
The forward, who signed with the Celtics on a two-year deal earlier in July, shared what his reaction was when he found Boston wanted to sign him at the start of free agency.
“I was really excited,” Brissett told reporters in Las Vegas on Saturday. “Getting a call from an organization like this really let me know they appreciate me and respect me as a player. It feels like a great relationship I can build with them.”
The 25-year-old is in a spot where he could still be looking to prove himself in the league. He’s never been a regular starter in his career, starting 43 of the 172 games he’s played through his first four seasons. His playing time also took a dip this past season, as he averaged 16.7 minutes per game after playing 23.3 minutes per game the year prior, leading to him signing for just a minimum contract with the Celtics.
But Brissett isn’t looking to play for himself. Rather, he wants to pitch in for the Celtics.
“I have no ego,” Brissett said. “I have nothing to prove, really. I just want to go win. Anything they want me to do, I’ll do it.”
Brissett might have an opportunity to pitch in right away. Grant Williams’s departure to Dallas will seemingly open up at least some frontcourt minutes during the regular season, which Brissett should ideally slot into.
When he does get on the court, the 2019 undrafted free agent wants to bring one thing in particular to the Celtics’ lineup.
“[I want to bring] energy, excitement. I feel like last year watching them, they always had that,” Brissett said. “Obviously playing in the Garden is different … I feel like I can bring that [energy] in a different way, coming in off the bench, starting, whatever it is … energy and heart.”
One way to bring energy is by making shots, specifically 3-pointers, as there might be no team that’s more reliant on the deep shot than the Celtics. They’ve seen Brissett bring energy to the Pacers by making his 3-point shots against them before.
When Boston was amid its hot streak late in the 2021-22 season, Brissett led Indiana to a rare hot night offensively against a squad that was playing at a historic level defensively. He scored 27 points as he shot 6-of-9 from deep in that game, helping the Pacers win by 21.
Brissett didn’t shoot too well from deep this past season, making just 31 percent of his 3-pointers. But the 34.4 career 3-point shooter knows as well as anyone that you can have a hot hand on any night. Brissett believes that’s especially true playing for the Celtics.
“On a random night, I feel like I’ll be able to go off or have a good game just because of how random we do play,” Brissett said.
Another way to bring energy into a lineup is by making hustle plays. Brissett’s averaging over one offensive rebound per game over his career and knows that plays like that can help earn the trust of his star teammates, just like Williams.
“Well, when they got the [ball], they can do what they want,” Brissett said, referring to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. “I’m going to go crash and rebound and I feel like I’ve got the easy job. That’s what they do and I’m excited to play with them, excited to watch, excited to be a part of the team, and be out there and show what I can do.”
As the Celtics’ roster is starting to round out, Brissett believes it’s a team that can finally pull through and win a title after being on the precipice over the last few seasons.
“This team is trending in the right direction and I feel like now we have a lot of great pieces to really get over that hump,” Brissett said. “I’m excited to get to training camp and start and just build, so we can start playing late in June.”
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