‘Nobody is worried about him’: Jaylen Brown was a full participant at Celtics practice
“He looked great today,” Horford said. “I was very happy to see him out there doing everything."
Jaylen Brown made it through Tuesday’s practice without any restrictions or limitations.
He had missed the last three games of the regular-season as he continues to manage a bone bruise in his right knee. His teammates struck an upbeat tone when asked how he looked in the practice.
“I think he’s fine,” Holiday said. “I’m pretty sure if y’all asked him, he’d be fine, too. I think it’s whatever it takes to win. We’ve seen people step up throughout the whole year, I guess the last two years. We’ll continue to do that.”
“Supporting him is honestly whatever he needs,” he added. “If he needs a break, which, knowing JB, he probably won’t, and he probably won’t even accept it if he needs it, but whatever it is, we’ll be there for him.”
Al Horford said Brown’s practice performance bodes well for the Celtics, who are gearing up for their playoff opener on Sunday at TD Garden against either Atlanta or Orlando.
“He looked great today,” Horford said. “I was very happy to see him out there doing everything. It’s a really good sign for us … There’s a lot of things that you have to deal with when you’re in that position.
“Jaylen is very strong mentally,” Horford added. “I feel like he finds a way and he’s the type that he’s out there putting in the work, getting ready to go. I feel like he understands what’s in front of us, and mentally he’s going to be in a good place, so I’m just excited to see him go from this point forward.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters this week that he is 100 percent confident that Brown will be ready for the Celtics’ opening round series this weekend.
“Just taking it one day at a time as he continues to get better and better,” said Mazzulla.
Brown has missed 19 games this season, the most since his 2021 season. He missed the 65-game threshold for NBA postseason awards availability. The Celtics remain optimistic that he will find a way to be effective in the playoffs.
“He looked good to me. I think JB is going to be JB in terms of not showing weakness,” Holiday said. “Everything is about not showing weakness and for him being able to be the strongest mentally and physically, so nobody is worried about him. We all know he wants to be on the court whenever we play but we also know he’s going to be prepared whenever the time comes.”
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