Jaylen Brown's pain management regime before playoffs leaves fans concerned

Jaylen Brown has been one of the leaders for a Boston Celtics squad that hopes to repeat as NBA champions after winning the title in 2024. However, Celtics fans received concerning news regarding their star wing.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne on Saturday, Brown is receiving pain management injections in his right knee, which has been bothering him for weeks. The shooting guard is dealing with a bone bruise and the injections can help in healing.

Brown has put together another All-Star campaign this season, leading the Celtics alongside Jayson Tatum. Even though the team has had concerning stretches throughout the regular season, Boston is one of the favorites to win the title this year, but injuries to Brown and others could come back to haunt it.

Fans reacted to the news in a variety of ways, with some applauding the fact that Jaylen Brown chose to play through knee pain and others expressing confusion, saying that he should have received the injections much sooner to ensure that he is at full health when the playoffs begin.

"He was playing to figure out how to properly play with the knee injury before the playoffs," explained one fan.

"So he should've been out for the past 3 weeks basically but kept playing," commented another.

"Sit jaylen brown for Round 1," suggested one fan.

"I’d be shocked if he lasts until the finals," said another.

"Not good when you start getting injections," another fan pointed out, concerned for Brown's future.

The Boston Celtics will be heavily favored in their first-round playoff series, but as the opponents become more difficult, they will need their Finals MVP at full strength if they want to repeat. However, Jaylen Brown has plenty of time to recover and figure out how to overcome his lingering injury.

How far can the Boston Celtics get without Jaylen Brown?

While Jaylen Brown is expected to be ready for the first round of the playoffs, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla could decide to rest his young star and give him more time to ensure he can return at full strength. Pain injections are a concerning sign for players at the end of the season, mostly because while they help players manage injuries, they don't prevent the chance of re-injury.

Without Brown, the Celtics are still formidable. Looking at the Eastern Conference standings, Boston will take on either the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks or Chicago Bulls. Barring a great offensive series from Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Celtics aren't expected to have much trouble in the opening round of the playoffs.

The second round, however, is where the problems could start for Boston. The team will take on the winner of the Pistons-Knicks first-round series in a second-round contest that projects to be extremely scrappy. Not having Jaylen Brown in the postseason puts far more pressure on Tatum and others, which leaves the Celtics vulnerable to an early exit.