Surgery may be the next step for Jaylen Brown now that the Celtics have been eliminated from the playoffs, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Sources tell Shelburne that the nagging knee pain Brown has been experiencing over the past few weeks is caused by a partially torn right meniscus.
Brown will be evaluated this week to see if surgery or rest is the best course of action, according to Shelburne’s sources, who say he has been receiving pain management injections in the knee since March.
Along with the injections, Brown has been adjusting his style of play to avoid putting undue strain on the knee. He admitted that he doesn’t have his usual explosiveness around the rim, but he still found a way to be effective, averaging 22.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 10 playoff games, which is similar to his numbers from last year’s postseason when he was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
Brown was asked about the condition of his knee after Boston’s Game 6 loss Friday night in New York.
“I don’t make excuses,” he told reporters. “Obviously, it’s tough the way we went out like tonight, but the way we finished the year, personally, the way I finished the year, persevering through some physical stuff that I was battling through, I’m proud of our group.”
Brown’s future will be one of many intriguing Celtics storylines to watch this summer. The team is expected to cut payroll with Jayson Tatum set to miss most or all of next season with a torn Achilles, and Brown’s supermax contract makes him a potential trade candidate. He’s owed $53.1MM next season and $236.2MM over the next four years.