Jaylen Brown has endured a difficult summer. The Boston Celtics star was omitted from Team USA’s roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He was then overlooked as the replacement for Kawhi Leonard, with Derrick White receiving a call-up instead. Brown was critical of the decision, taking to social media to share his thoughts. Stephen A. Smith also accused him of being “unmarketable.” Smith during the postseason.
In a recent appearance on the “Point Forward” podcast, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard defended Brown’s reaction, while also noting how the Celtics All-Star fits within Steve Kerr’s Team USA roster.
“I know certain people are like it’s undercutting his teammate, but I was kind of like hey man, let him speak his peiece,” Pritchard said regarding Brown’s Team USA drama. “I think, yeah, let him speak. I don’t think Derrick felt any type of way at all. I think we’re all brothers at the end of the day. When I saw it, not even having the consideration of putting him on was confusing to me. I think Jaylen is a top-level player. He fits everything they need. He can defend, play any role, and I think Jaylen would accept that.”
While there’s a fair debate on whether Brown should have handled the situation differently, there’s no denying that he could have been an important member of Team USA’s roster, regardless of what role he would have been tasked with playing.
Celtics Lab 276: A closer look at the Olympics, Team USA, and the Celtics with Noa Dalzell https://t.co/8pKriN9TpA pic.twitter.com/BxWhKDs48x
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 5, 2024
Nevertheless, Brown will undoubtedly have spent his summer working on his game and improving his all-round skill set as he looks to help Boston challenge for back-to-back championships next season.
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