Jaylen Brown-Kristaps Porzingis two-man game might do more than help the Celtics beat the Bucks in November

In the ultimate minute of extra time in the Boston Celtics’ loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday evening, Jaylen Brown ignored a wide-open Kristaps Porzingis in the paint and as a substitute took a contested 3-pointer, which he ignored. The mistake changed into simple social media fodder, nevertheless it was once in reality an outlier in what’s turning into a budding partnership between Brown and Porzingis. 

The duo, who are living in the similar development and feature turn into pals off the courtroom since Porzingis’ arrival in Boston this summer time, put their chemistry on complete show on Wednesday evening in the Celtics’ 119-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Brown completed with 26 issues and a season-high 8 assists, 5 of which went to Porzingis, whilst the large guy added 21 issues, six rebounds and a lone help. The recipient? You guessed it, Brown. 

It’s price looking at the Porzingis dime first prior to we dive into the larger image right here, as it ended with a Brown windmill that introduced everybody to their toes. It’s uncommon to peer that form of a dunk in a game, however it is nearly extraordinary in the halfcourt. 

While neither participant has ever been at a loss for words for an elite playmaker, it is transparent they have already got an consciousness and figuring out of one another’s game. Of Brown’s 50 assists this season, 21 have long past to Porzingis — 14 more than another participant. Porzingis’ help numbers don’t seem to be all that significant, however in case you had been questioning, 8 of his 26 assists have long past to Brown. 

Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum is the most effective duo that experience spent more time on the flooring in combination than Brown and Porzingis. In the latter’s 385 mins, the Celtics have a 118.8 offensive score, a 60.3% help proportion and a 62.5% true capturing proportion, and are outscoring groups via 13 issues in step with 100 possessions.

Obviously, a large bite of the ones mins have include the Celtics’ beginning lineup, however now not they all. Which is why it is price specializing in this collection in the center of the 2d quarter. 

On the first ownership, Brown and Porzingis are the two “horns” in a horns set. Payton Pritchard enters the ball to Porzingis, who drops a nifty behind-the-back cross to a reducing Brown. As Brown will get downhill, Brook Lopez commits and it is a very easy lob up best to Porzingis for the slam. 

Porzingis preferred the fearless cross: “He’s not afraid to throw the alley-oop.”

The subsequent time down the flooring, Porzingis arrives to set a display for Brown in semi-transition. With Lopez sitting again in drop protection to offer protection to the paint, that is as soon as once more a very easy learn. Porzingis pops and Brown unearths him for a wide-open 3-pointer. 

“I absolutely love playing with JB,” Porzingis stated. “We’re starting to connect more and more. Honestly, it’s just him making the game easy for me. I’m just making reads off of him. If he comes off and he wants the hand-off, boom, I hand it to him, I start rolling, he plays that game a little bit and then either finishes or throws the lob. He’s making it easy for me and he’s so explosive and quick with those backcuts that it’s just natural for me to hit him on those backcuts. All credit to JB.”

While serving to the Celtics to crucial early-season win over every other considered one of the Eastern Conference’s best groups was once nice, the possible long-term affect of the Brown-Porzingis connection is maximum encouraging. The Celtics have frequently been overly reliant on Tatum, each this season and in years previous, and want to have the opportunity to generate constant offense when he is on the bench or now not feeling it. 

That was once a big factor in the Eastern Conference finals final season after they had been disenchanted via the Heat. They had been a crisis in the non-Tatum mins, and could not do anything else after he were given harm in Game 7, in large part on account of Brown’s deficient efficiency. Not most effective did he shoot the ball poorly, however he became it over like loopy. 

Pairing Brown with Porzingis when Tatum is sitting appears to be a good way to resolve more than one issues without delay. In that duo they have got two dependable scorers who will command consideration from the protection, and Porzingis’ measurement and flexibility in the pick-and-roll is helping simplify issues for Brown as a playmaker. That must be in reality recommended come playoff time.

A overwhelming majority of Brown’s assists to Porzingis this season had been lobs to the rim or kickouts for wide-open 3s — each easy reads. It’s in all probability now not a wonder that Brown’s turnovers are down to two.4 in step with game this season, his lowest mark since 2020. 

“I don’t know what it is,” Brown stated. “It’s just like an automatic connection.”