CHICAGO - Jaylen Brown is done revisiting the trade.
The noise around one of the NBA’s most talked-about deals isn’t going away anytime soon, but Brown has moved on to the only thing that matters now: the games in front of him. As he got ready to face the Bulls on Sunday, he said the focus has shifted from the blockbuster swap to the work of making a new team fit together.
“It’s over with now, so I think everybody’s just focused on what’s in front of us,” Brown told CLNS. “Only time will tell how everything pans out, but I’m just focused on what’s in front of me. I got a tremendous opportunity and also a tremendous challenge in front of me as well, so I’m just focused on that.”
Brown has been one of the early anchors for Philadelphia alongside Tyrese Maxey, with Maxey leading the team at 26.9 points per game and Brown right behind at 21.6. Brown has also dealt with some early physical issues, including knee pain that cost him one game, plus calf and Achilles ailments. Even with that, he shot 47.4% from the field and 40% from three through the Sixers’ first four games.
The results have been mixed, but the shape of the team is starting to show. Philadelphia has been strong defensively, ranking as a top-five unit, while the offense has lagged behind at 21st in offensive rating entering Sunday.
Brown made it clear that, despite his role, he sees himself as the one still adjusting. The Sixers changed a lot after the Brown-Paul George swap, then added LeBron James on a veteran’s minimum in a stunning free-agent move. The frontcourt picture also shifted when Ariel Hukporti tore his Achilles and Adem Bona missed part of camp and the start of the season with injuries, forcing Philadelphia into more small-ball looks whenever Joel Embiid sits.
“I think it’s still a journey,” Brown said. “I’m the new guy here, so I’m still getting used to it, but just finding ways to win, adding value to my team, building chemistry and it’s early, but I’m excited about just taking on that challenge here.”
Tuesday’s game against Boston is going to carry plenty of attention, especially with the fallout between Brown and Jayson Tatum still hanging over things. The two did not speak after the trade, though Tatum recently said he reached out to Brown and is still open to talking. Brown has already said there’s no beef, though he also told Philadelphia reporters that there might be a lamb chop following Tatum’s comments, and that the Celtics star should stay ready at all times.
Brown wasn’t interested in going any deeper on Sunday.
“Nope, just ready to go,” he said. “Wish nothing but the best to everybody over there, Celtics, and the city of Boston.
I love the city of Boston. I’m very grateful for the city, and I’m just ready to just focus on the challenge that’s in front of me.”
Brown’s transition has also been watched closely by people who know him well. Tacko Fall, his longtime friend and former Celtics teammate, was in Morocco when he learned about the trade.
Fall later got a tryout with Philadelphia and earned a two-way deal, trying to work his way into the center mix after a hip injury interrupted his preseason. He said Brown has handled the change well, with the biggest difference being Brown’s physical transformation.
Anfernee Simons, who briefly played with Brown in Boston last year, also landed in Philadelphia before the team’s bigger offseason moves. He has given the Sixers bench scoring and 39% three-point shooting on a roster built around a lot of top-end talent.
Brown likes what he has seen from the Sixers so far, especially the spacing, coaching and the pace they’ve brought to the floor. He said the team’s 7-2 start has looked strong, but he also sees plenty of room for growth.
“We’re at the very early stage of our development,” he added. “We got some habits that we gotta clear up.
We are predominantly, surviving off of talent, but as we develop in that structure and that chemistry, we’ll get better. We just gotta keep taking steps forward, but we’re not where we want to be right now and I’m gonna keep challenging us to get better.”
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