Jaylen Brown has somehow upped his efficiency through knee pain — thanks to some mental resilience and Paul Pierce film

BOSTON — There have been countless moments when Jaylen Brown has been in visible discomfort over these past few weeks, moments where the four-time All-Star has winced and clutched his right knee, taken a little too long to get up from a fall, or gingerly braced his landings.

The knee injury that’s held Brown out of 10 games this season — and 8 games since the All-Star break — has been apparent hard for fans at home to ignore.

But, what’s flown under the radar is his effectiveness through that pain. In his last five games, Brown has shot 54.4% from the field, 42.3% from three, and 85% from the line. He’s averaging two turnovers per game, a number that’s below his season average. And, throughout that stretch, the Celtics have outscored the competition by 45 points with him on the floor.

On Friday, Brown turned in his best performance in weeks, tallying 31 points on 10-16 shooting, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, including 1 dazzling pass to Kornet.

Then, after helping lead the Celtics to victory, Brown sat at the podium for nearly 11 minutes, reflecting on the challenge of playing through the pain — but in a way, also the beauty of it.

Through the past few weeks, Brown has been reminded that he’s more than just an explosive dunker and speedy transition player.

“I learned that I have a lot of skill,” he said. ‘My skill level is high. As you’ve seen tonight, no dunks, no transition points. I can still affect the score again in multiple ways. And I haven’t always displayed that — and this year I haven’t displayed it as much because I’m athletic .. I can hit shots, I can shoot the ball, I can get to my spots, I can score different ways.I think that could be a good thing — reminding myself that not only are you athletic, but you got a high skill level as well, so utilize that.”

As such, Brown is actually shooting a higher true shooting % from the field since the All-Star break (57.2%) than he was shooting beforehand (55%).

Jaylen Brown addresses the popular notion that he should rest

Online and in the media, many have wondered whether Brown should rest rather than play through injury — and whether he’s playing through pain simply to be eligible for All-NBA.

Brown flatly stated earlier this week that the 65-game minimum to be able to qualify for awards was not a factor in considering whether he’d rest or play down the stretch.

And, on Friday, he discussed the reality that it’s unusual to see NBA athletes push through visible pain.

“You normally see people go complain about when people are choosing not to play,” Brown said with a smile. “I’ve never been experienced it the other way around — where I’m playing and people are encouraging me not to.”

The official diagnosis the Celtics public relations team shared regarding Brown’s knee is a “bone bruise with posterior impingement in his right knee” but little information has been disclosed about exactly what Brown’s been going through and what the prognosis and treatment plan is.

The public desire for Brown to sit likely hinges upon the idea that rest would make things better — and a quick Google search would confirm that rest seems to generally be a positive thing for such an injury.

But, Brown addressed the rest conundrum as it pertains to his particular injury: “There’s no guarantee, honestly, that rest is going to make anything better. I wish it would, but it’s the cards that are laid out.”

“It is what it is. It sucks,” he added. “I wish I could share more details, but whatever my team needs, whatever I can do, whatever I got, Imma give. I’m looking forward to just taking it one day at a time, and I’m hopeful that some things will improve over the course of this next two weeks or so.”

So, rather than simply shut down for the season, Brown has opted to explore what his game might look like with physical limitations.

Jaylen Brown is studying Paul Pierce and leaning on his teammates and coach

Brown shared Friday he’d been studying Paul Pierce film in an effort to emphasize getting to his spots and playing at a controlled pace. Ironically, Pierce was at the game with his 17-year-old daughter Prianna, and got to catch up with Brown pregame.

“[I’m] using more of my skill, playing a little bit slower, which could sometimes be a good thing,” Brown said. “So it’s all about just figuring that out. And I’ve been using these games to kind of figure it out. And, just taking it one day at a time.”

“Today I felt like I didn’t have my normal burst, but I was still able to be effective. So I think that’s good. But as we continue to move forward, hoping to feel better and better.”

Joe Mazzulla is making a concerted effort to help Brown play through the injury.

“I have a responsibility to make the game easier for him, regardless of what the situation is. It’s always to make it easier,” Mazzulla said. “To me, it’s more about trust. There’s no one that understands his body, there’s no one that prepares mentally, physically, the way that he does. And he’s constantly taking in information on the environment and what he needs to do. I think he’s doing a great job. He’s doing a good job of handling it, he’s doing a good job of managing it, whether it’s in the weight room or the training room.

“And, when it comes to the tactical stuff, it’s constant communication of how we can get him in the best position possible to be successful. You should be doing that regardless, but even more now. I think he’s really doing a good job figuring out ways to be effective for our team.”

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Brown expressed his gratitude that Mazzulla has given him grace through this process, and has let him work through the injury on the court, even when it hasn’t been perfect.

“I took some ill-advised shots last game, and that was just a part of me trying to figure out where I can go,” he said. “And, I still want Joe to hold me to that same standard, but I appreciate Joe for the communication. It’s good to have that now, rather than trying to figure it out once everything is on the line.”

It’s not just Mazzulla who has Brown’s injury in mind on the floor; Jayson Tatum similarly spoke to wanting to maximize Brown’s usage when he’s on the court, in particular due to his minutes restriction.

“Wanting to maximize his time when he’s out there, and being involved as much as possible, knowing that he’s fighting through it to be out there with us,” Tatum said.

Brown is optimistic that the medical staff will put him in a good position heading into the postseason.

“I bank on being by the playoffs — we got some stuff lined up — I bank on being even better than I feel now,” he said.

But, even if he’s not, the 2024 Finals MVP has a renewed sense of confidence regarding the type of impact he can have on the Celtics, even with his limitations.

“Pain is definitely a physical thing, but it also is a mental thing,” Brown said, adding: “My team visibly can see maybe I’m in a bit of pain — they trust me to go out there, and I can control my body, and still be able to make plays, and mentally, be able to kind of push through it. I think that’s going to be something I’m gonna have to have in my back pocket. I’ve been just utilizing these games in order to feel things out. Things will get better, I’m sure, but if they don’t, then I still have a good feel of where my baseline is at.”