Jaylen Brown is beginning to settle into life with the Philadelphia 76ers, but the former Boston Celtics star has made it clear he isn’t looking to take over Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid’s team.
Brown delivered one of his best performances since joining Philadelphia on Monday, recording 25 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists in a 126-107 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
The 29-year-old shot 9-of-15 from the field, knocked down four three-pointers and committed zero turnovers as the Sixers improved to 7-1.
Despite his impressive performance, Brown was quick to acknowledge Maxey’s leadership.
“Maxey’s been leading the way, 100 percent,” Brown said, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He’s been here. This is his team. Him and Joel have been here for a while, so the mindset has been to complement those guys. I’m finding my footing, but Maxey has been leading the way for sure.”
Brown spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Boston, winning an NBA championship before making the move to Philadelphia.
His transition has also impressed head coach Nick Nurse, who praised the veteran’s physicality and ability to contribute beyond scoring.
“The dude is tough and he wins,” Nurse said. “I’ll take that all day long. The degree of difficulty on some of the shots he hit was really amazing. I thought he pounded the glass and got some key rebounds. Makes a lot of winning plays. Man, he’s a winner.”
Brown has also taken an active role in establishing Philadelphia’s defensive identity, stressing the importance of consistency and accountability.
“The offense is going to be what it’s going to be, but our defense has got to be non-negotiable,” Brown said. “That’s something I say all the time. Non-negotiable. You want to be a good team, defense is non-negotiable.”
With Maxey contributing 26 points against Chicago, including 15 in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia’s star-studded lineup is beginning to develop chemistry.
And Brown believes the Sixers have plenty of room for improvement despite their impressive start.
“We still have a long way to go to being a really, really solid, great team,” Brown said. “But we’ve been able to win some games. We started out the season great, 7-1, and you haven’t seen our best version yet.
“That’s a good sign.”
READ MORE: Adam Silver Open to Drastic Change to NBA Game Length: Report