Celtics Dynasty? Jaylen Brown Weighs In On Boston’s Title Window
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown once said he would have five NBA titles as a 28-year-old. Well, Brown just got his hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time this week at age 27. But that doesn’t mean the three-time All-Star can’t add another one or two to Boston’s collection in the very […]
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown once said he would have five NBA titles as a 28-year-old.
Well, Brown just got his hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time this week at age 27. But that doesn’t mean the three-time All-Star can’t add another one or two to Boston’s collection in the very near future.
In fact, that’s a way more realistic possibility than what Brown thought he could achieve by the time he was in his late 20s. And that wasn’t lost on Brown even as he basked in the glow of a championship.
“I think we have an opportunity. I think we definitely have a window,” Brown said Monday following Boston’s title-clinching victory. “We take it one day at a time. We definitely have to make sure we stay healthy. But, you know, we’ll enjoy the summer, enjoy the moment, and then we get right back to it next year.”
The Celtics are set up for a sustained run of success unlike the last time they won a championship behind an aging Big Three in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Their two pillars in Brown and Jayson Tatum are in their mid-20s, in the prime of their careers and locked in to the Celtics for years to come once Tatum’s supermax extension gets finalized this offseason.
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But Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens also made sure the group around them will be in place, too. Jrue Holiday, who had signature moments throughout Boston’s title run like his steal of Andrew Nembhard to seal Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, signed a four-year extension with the Celtics before the postseason started and it seems likely Derrick White will receive a contract extension this offseason as well after ascending into an impactful player on both ends of the floor.
Kristaps Porzingis still has two years on his deal with the Celtics and proved this season he can be an all-out difference-maker. Porzingis turns 29 in August, but the biggest question facing the 7-foot-2 center is his health. Porzingis certainly isn’t a poster boy for durability and reportedly will need surgery this offseason on his injured ankle.
Much of what the Celtics can achieve in the future could hinge on Porzingis. If he’s able to stay healthy, there’s plenty of reasons to believe that the Celtics can keep adding banners to the TD Garden rafters. But if injuries continue to persist for Porzingis as they have throughout his entire career, the Celtics could be a big man short.
The Celtics also don’t have much depth behind Porzingis. Al Horford, who will be back for an 18th NBA season, is already 38 and can’t handle the same workload he did when was in his prime. And it’s not as though the Celtics have a young up-and-coming center ready to take on more of a role, either.
But Boston surely is in a favorable position with Tatum and Brown spearheading the way. It’s easy to get caught up in what could be for this very talented Celtics group that has the pieces in place to contend for multiple titles.
But they will have to start back at the beginning next year and prove they can complete the journey once again.