Jaylen Brown has hinted a number of occasions in latest weeks that he would bear therapy on his injured proper knee forward of the NBA playoffs. On Saturday, ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne reported that the four-time All-Star acquired ache administration injections in his knee to advertise therapeutic earlier than the playoffs.
Brown, who has been coping with a bone bruise with posterior impingement in his proper knee since mid-February, has missed the final two video games and a complete of 12 video games this season as a result of harm.
Final week, after a win towards the Phoenix Suns, Brown mentioned he was optimistic {that a} therapy plan the medical employees had in place would assist him really feel higher forward of the postseason.
“I financial institution on being by the playoffs — we bought some stuff lined up — I financial institution on being even higher than I really feel now,” he mentioned.
Jaylen Brown has handled the knee harm for the reason that All-Star break
Brown missed two video games with the appropriate knee harm earlier than the All-Star break, and has been restricted by it ever since, visibly in ache on most nights and ceaselessly choosing layups as a substitute of dunks.
However, he’s truly been extra environment friendly with the harm, taking pictures 47.2% after the harm, in comparison with 46.9% beforehand.
“I realized that I’ve loads of ability,” he mentioned. ‘My ability degree is excessive. As you’ve seen tonight, no dunks, no transition factors. I can nonetheless have an effect on the rating once more in a number of methods. And I haven’t at all times displayed that — and this yr I haven’t displayed it as a lot as a result of I’m athletic… I can hit photographs, I can shoot the ball, I can get to my spots, I can rating other ways. I believe that might be an excellent factor — reminding myself that not solely are you athletic, however you bought a excessive ability degree as nicely, so make the most of that.”
Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics teaching employees has deferred to Brown relating to whether or not he’s needed to sit down or play.
“Nobody is aware of their physique, nobody is aware of push themselves, nobody is aware of put together themselves, physique and thoughts, via the pains of a season [like him],” Mazzulla mentioned on 98.5 The Sports activities Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand on Thursday.
“On the finish of the day, an important factor is simply form of belief in Jaylen, and belief in his work, belief in his course of and in addition belief within the coaching employees and the sports activities science and the fellows that put the time in on a regular basis…I belief that he’ll be able to go when it issues most.”
Brown opted to play for many of March, however didn’t attain the 65-game minimal wanted to be eligible for awards.
“There’s no assure, truthfully, that relaxation goes to make something higher,” Brown mentioned final week. “I want it could, but it surely’s the playing cards which might be laid out.”
“It’s what it’s. It sucks. want I might share extra particulars, however no matter my crew wants, no matter I can do, no matter I bought, Imma give. I’m wanting ahead to simply taking it in the future at a time, and I’m hopeful that some issues will enhance over the course of those subsequent two weeks or so.”
The Celtics’ playoff run will start on April 19 or April 20, and Brown, who has been open about his ache in latest weeks, is anticipated to be prepared, Shelbourne reported.
