The Boston Celtics have an outside chance to make the NBA Finals after losing Kyrie Irving and Al Horford this summer, with Kemba Walker coming in. Celtics incumbents Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart are looking to boost the team's chances by getting into better shape.
How are they stepping it up? Trash-talking.
Brown explained their way of amping each other up to NBC Sports Boston's Chris Forsberg:
“Ever since I've been here, since my rookie year, I've been trying to take advantage of playing Marcus 1-on-1 and baiting him into playing me,” said Brown. “I’ve been talking trash so that he'll be motivated to play me and I can work on my game.
“Marcus is probably one of the best defenders in the league. Motivated Marcus is tough to score against. But you have to talk a little bit of trash to get him going.”
And if you don’t?
“He might just bull——, or throw up some bull—— [shots],” said Brown. “He’ll laugh and joke but as soon as you start talking trash to him, he’ll be looking to bust your ass. He’ll be super engaged pretty quickly.”
However, raising the intensity through trash-talking isn't the only way the two are spending the last days of preseason.
Brown is slowly becoming a more consistent player and is trending in the right direction for Boston. His work on his offensive game should help cover for Kyrie's share of the ball. Smart is not only looking to improve his offensive game, but also his leadership skills as one of the team's longest-serving members.
This is an uncertain but exciting time for Boston fans, and these two Celtics are dedicated to seeing the team succeed in the East.
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