Jaylen Brown and Joe Mazzulla had positive comments to share about Nikola Vucevic following the Boston Celtics' blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Vucevic is going through the 15th year of his NBA career, his first with the Celtics. He started the 2025-26 campaign with the Chicago Bulls before they traded him to Boston in exchange for Anfernee Simons. He is eight games into his stint with the 18-time NBA champions.
Brown and Mazzulla reflected on Vucevic's improvement in the system over time after the game against Brooklyn, via Celtics on CNLS. The former likes seeing the veteran center get more comfortable with the team, while the latter is looking forward to seeing the fit fully flourish.
“Allow him to feel more comfortable is big time for our team. Today was a great step forward. I like to see him aggressive,” Brown said.
Jaylen Brown on Nikola Vucevic getting more comfortable with the offense:
“Allow him to feel more comfortable is big time for our team. Today was a great step forward. I like to see him aggressive.”
–@CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/6uH6NC4tES— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) February 28, 2026
“Well, I hope that he’s never completely comfortable, because that would mean we don’t get better…,” Mazzulla remarked.
Joe Mazzulla on how the Celtics have worked to get Nikola Vucevic more comfortable with the offense:
“Well, I hope that he’s never completely comfortable, because that would mean we don’t get better…”
–@CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/2rALNmkM5e— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) February 28, 2026
How Jaylen Brown, Celtics played against Nets
It's clear that the Celtics will only get better as long as Nikola Vucevic continues making strides with his production on the court. For Jaylen Brown and Joe Mazzulla, they believe the sky is the limit for the team's ceiling when Vucevic accomplishes his goals.
In the meantime, the Celtics torched the Nets in a convincing 148-111 blowout win at home. Boston took control in the second half and never looked back, outscoring Brooklyn 82-54 in the last 24 minutes of regulation.
Six players scored in double-digits for Boston in the win. Brown led the way with 28 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, two steals, and one block. Vucevic came next with 28 points and 11 rebounds, Payton Pritchard had 22 points and five assists, Sam Hauser put up 13 points, while Derrick White provided 12 points and seven assists.
Boston improved to a 39-20 record on the season, holding the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the New York Knicks by 1.5 games and the Cleveland Cavaliers by three games while trailing the Detroit Pistons by 5.5 games.
The Celtics will look forward to their next matchup, remaining at home. They host the Philadelphia 76ers as tip-off will take place on March 1 at 8 p.m. ET.
