LAS VEGAS – Derrick White was at home when his wife broke the news that Jaylen Brown had been traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Obviously, it’s tough to see someone get traded,” White said. “JB has been an amazing teammate, amazing friend to me, and [he] kind of welcomed me when I got traded to Boston. So, I’m always thankful for my time that I spent with JB.”
White said he reached out to Brown to thank him for all he did and let him know how much he meant to him.
That sense of gratitude has been echoed throughout the Celtics organization in the aftermath of the trade.
Brad Stevens spoke extensively about how much Brown meant to the city, both on and off the court. Joe Mazzulla called him irreplaceable. And as players have started to talk publicly about the trade, the message has remained consistent.
“It’s not easy. I think you feel for him,” Neemias Queta said. “But at the end of the day, it’s part of the business. You know what’s happening. You know it can happen at any moment. But Jaylen’s a guy that you can’t replace in the city. Really, really hard to replace on the court as well. He did so much for Boston in general, and he will definitely be missed.”
Queta, too, reached out to Brown afterward.
“I just wanted to show him a sense of gratitude for pushing me daily. Showing that I’m his guy. I’m still gonna be around. Like anything he needs, he can reach out, and we can arrange things,” Queta said. “He just pushed me to be better every day just by his edge and intensity. His ability to corral us as a group was really, really special.”
Now comes life after Brown, who leaves the organization 10th in franchise history with 13,474 career points and seventh in postseason scoring. And with that comes a new identity.
“We have a different roster. We have a different identity now. I think there’s been a clear identity over the last 10 years with the roster that we have, especially the cornerstones of the organization, and now that identity is a little bit different,” Mazzulla said. “So the challenge lies in how do we create that identity? How do we establish that identity? And then how do we end that season on a win? Which was really hard to do. But that’s the challenge.”
Under Mazzulla, the Celtics have built their success around winning the possession battle: rebounding, limiting turnovers and defending at a high level.
The Celtics posted a 33.9% offensive rebounding percentage, good for sixth-best in the NBA, which translated into 16.9 second-chance points per game, the fifth-most in the league last season. They were one of just eight teams to record 1,000 or more offensive rebounds, finishing with 1,025.
They committed the fewest turnovers in the NBA at 1,014 (12.4 per game) and posted the third-lowest turnover rate at 12.9%.
Defensively, they allowed an NBA-low 107.2 points per game while holding opponents to 44.2% shooting, the second-lowest mark in the league.
Perhaps the “new” identity isn’t a complete overhaul. It’s about doubling down on the areas that have defined them. When you look at Boston’s offseason additions, it’s easy to see that philosophy.
They added Mitchell Robinson, who is arguably the best rebounder in basketball. He led the NBA in total rebounds per 36 minutes (16.1), offensive rebounds per 36 minutes (7.7), total rebounds per 100 possessions (22.2), and offensive rebounds per 100 possessions (10.6). His 20.1% offensive rebounding percentage also led the league.
Brown led the Celtics with 259 turnovers last season, nearly double the total of Derrick White (134). While Brown’s role naturally led to more giveaways, Boston added two players known for taking care of the basketball: Mike Conley, whose 4.62 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked third among players to appear in at least 50 games, and Paul George, who averaged just 1.7 turnovers per game last season.
All three newcomers are strong defenders, too.
Replacing Brown won’t be easy. But if this offseason is any indication, the Celtics might believe the best way forward isn’t by reinventing themselves. It’s by reinforcing the identity that’s defined them under Mazzulla and creating more flexibility by moving off Brown’s massive contract.
