Jaylen Brown has been everything Boston’s needed - and more. But with each passing game, the Celtics are walking a tightrope between riding their star’s brilliance and risking burnout at the worst possible time.
Saturday night in Chicago was the latest reminder of how thin that line has become.
Brown dropped a game-high 33 points in a hard-fought 114-111 loss to the Bulls, less than 24 hours after logging a grueling 46-minute shift in a double-overtime win against the Nets. He played 37 more minutes in Chicago, attacking the rim, absorbing contact, and doing everything in his power to keep the Celtics within striking distance. But the signs were there - the burst wasn’t quite the same, the lift came and went, and the wear and tear was impossible to ignore.
After the game, Brown didn’t sugarcoat it.
“I want to play, but at the same time, you’ve got to be smart over the course of a season,” he said. “You don’t want to play one game and risk being out for five to 10. Sometimes I need those guys to protect me from me.”
That’s the reality Boston is facing right now. With Jayson Tatum still sidelined as he rehabs from Achilles surgery, Brown has become the engine, the compass, and the heartbeat of this team. The Celtics are 28-17, but that record has come with a cost - and Brown’s been carrying the weight.
He’s been asked to do it all: initiate offense, take on tougher defensive matchups, and lead in the locker room. And lately, he’s done it while managing tightness in his hamstring, which has landed him on the injury report in back-to-back games.
He’s played through it both times - because that’s what stars do. But the question now isn’t about willingness.
It’s about sustainability.
January has been a gauntlet. Brown is averaging north of 36 minutes per game this month, and the Celtics’ schedule offers no favors.
They won’t have two straight days off until the All-Star break, and the next two weeks are a relentless every-other-day grind. Yes, some of those games are against sub-.500 teams, but that doesn’t mean the physical toll gets any lighter.
If anything, it’s in those games where mental sharpness and physical preservation become even more important.
What Brown has done this season deserves praise. He’s elevated his playmaking.
He’s stepped up in late-game situations. He’s been a stabilizing force when Boston has struggled to close games.
Saturday’s effort was another chapter in that story - efficient scoring, strong rebounding, and leadership through adversity. But there’s a bigger picture in play.
The Celtics believe this season still has championship potential, especially with Tatum expected to return later in the year. But that vision only holds up if Brown is healthy when it matters. Running him into the ground in January doesn’t help you in April.
That’s where head coach Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics’ staff have to make some tough calls. Maybe it’s a rest day, even if Brown protests.
Maybe it’s shorter stints and more trust in the bench. Maybe it’s sacrificing a few regular-season wins to preserve the long-term goal.
It’s not glamorous. It doesn’t always play well in the moment. But it could be the difference between Brown leading a playoff run or watching from the sideline, worn down by the very effort that kept Boston afloat.
Brown has done everything asked of him - and then some. Now it’s on the Celtics to return the favor. Not just to protect their star from opponents or the schedule, but from the part of him that refuses to slow down.
Because the season isn’t lost in January.
But it sure can be compromised.