Jaylen Brown’s leadership is guiding the Celtics: ‘We didn’t come to Cleveland for the weather’

Jaylen Brown was extremely unhappy after the Boston Celtics’ Game 2 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Defensively, it was an unacceptable performance,” Brown said.

That’s been his tone all season. After every loss, Brown has been there to hold the team accountable. And in the playoffs, his leadership has kicked up a notch.

He wanted everyone on the same page heading into Game 3.

“I said, ‘Just guard.’ Nothing too complicated about it,” Brown said after Boston’s Game 3 victory. “Play defense, and I think the rest is self-explanatory.”

Between games, they watched film and found areas for improvement, with Brown leading the charge.

“Just talked to them. We watched film. Held each other accountable,” Brown said. “And just speak life into everybody. And set the tone from the top down, and just hold myself accountable. Me, making sure my defenses is right. I think everybody else kind of just follows suit.”

All the work they put in paid off in Game 3. The Celtics held the Cavaliers to just 93 points, marking the sixth time they’ve held their opponent under 100 this postseason.

They are undefeated in those six games, and their only two losses came in the two games they failed to hit that mark.

“I think we guarded pretty well,” Brown said. “I think they made some tough shots, and we could have been even better, but we still kept them under 100 with that being said. So, much better defensive effort tonight.”

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Donovan Mitchell caught fire in the first half, exploding for 23 points on 8/12 shooting from the field and 6/8 shooting from distance. But even he was quelled by the Celtics’ stifling defense.

He shot 4/10 overall, including 1/4 from behind the three-point line in the second half, scoring just 10 points in the process.

Brown’s leadership off the court translated seamlessly to Game 3, and it was a big reason they were able to corral Mitchell and keep the Cavs at bay.

“Yeah, just being a leader. Expressing his feelings and just kinda pouring out his knowledge on the game,” Jrue Holiday said of Brown. “Telling us to be aggressive, telling me to be aggressive. ‘If you get tired, then I’ll switch onto Donovan.’ Just being a leader in that way.

“Talking to us defensively, especially down the stretch. ’No threes,’ ‘Rebound the ball.’ He’s sitting there yelling at us. So, just being the leader that he is.”

But Brown was more than just a vocal leader on Saturday night. He led by example on both ends of the floor.

As he worked tirelessly to help the Celtics slow down Mitchell, he also churned out an unbelievably efficient scoring night on the other end.

With a flurry of transition buckets, tough middies, and powerful drives, Brown bullied his way to a 13/17 shooting night that included 2/3 from beyond the arc. He finished the game with 28 points, which was second on the team, only behind Tatum’s 33.

“Yeah, just taking my time,” Brown said. “Just seeing what the defense — I feel like I can get to the basket anytime I want. Just being able to make the read, whether if the help is coming over, when to make the pass, and when to go up and score. I think that was just the game for me. And I did a lot better [in] Game 3 vs. Game 2.”

And just as the team used the break between games to reflect on their defense, Brown utilized it to dissect his offensive game. The results spoke for themselves.

“Just being aggressive,” Brown said. “I watched film last game, and I saw where, I feel like some of the times where I was driving, I should have shot. Or some of the times when I went to the basket, I should have drove the ball. It was just — the rhythm was off. So, tonight, I watched film, and I was able to apply it.”

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Yet, while Brown took the second-most shots on the team and was uber-aggressive, he played the right way.

Through the years, Brown’s playmaking progression has been exponential, but more importantly, he’s learned to make the simple play. And he makes it regardless of how he’s personally performing.

“Just picking and choosing his spots really well,” Joe Mazzulla said of Brown’s Game 3 and overall improvements. “Picks and chooses spots. Picks and chooses matchups. Picks and chooses shot selection and plays with a sense of poise. I thought a couple of his kickouts that he had at end of the third or the beginning of the fourth were big for us.

“One of the best things he’s doing is even if he scores two or three times in a row, the next play is the right play. It’s not a play for him. It’s a play to make the right one. I think that’s huge growth.”

Boston was in this same position last series. They dominated Game 1, lost Game 2 in brutal fashion, and bounced back with a victory. But this is a new series. “We can’t think like this series is gonna go just like last series,” Brown said. “We got to come out and have the same defensive effort going into Game 4. And that’s just the urgency we need to have.”

Focusing on the future is what’s gotten the Celtics this far. Their business-like approach revolves around the importance of leaning from the past but never dwelling on it. Because should they treat this series like the Heat series, they could fall into the traps of arrogance and complacency.

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As a leader, Brown is determined to avoid that. He’s keeping them on track.

And reminding them about the real reason they came to Cleveland.

“I’m just trying to take all of it. I think that’s what we need. I think we just need everybody to be on the same page, and everybody to come out with the right effort. And that’s 85% of the battle right there. We come out, we play hard, and we’re on the same page, and the rest will take care of itself. We got enough talent in the locker room to beat teams, but if we’re not on the same page, and we’re not playing hard, those are when we get ourselves in trouble.

“So, making sure before the game, in film, in shootaround, talking to everybody, touching everybody, letting their buddy know like, ‘Hey, we’re not here to play around. We didn’t come to Cleveland for the weather. So, let’s go.’”