Jaylen Brown Discusses Integrating Nikola Vucevic Into System

The Boston Celtics sneakily made one of the bigger trades of the NBA trade deadline. While it may not have had names in it the size of Anthony Davis or James Harden, it may have major implications on the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Celtics traded away Anfernee Simons, who was in and out of their lineup and did not provide an essential role for Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic isn’t the All-Star that he used to be, but he’s been a solid offensive contributor for over a decade. Vucevic isn’t going to completely change the Celtics' title chances, but the addition of another solid big man is huge. 

Celtics’ star Jaylen Brown spoke about integrating Vucevic onto the team. 

"We got to figure out the chemistry a little bit, the flow a little bit. We want Vuc to be a little bit more aggressive, looking for him to get going and make him feel confident in taking those shots and where he can catch the ball. I think he's still learning, but we need him to be aggressive. So we'll make adjustments, we'll communicate, we'll watch film, and we'll be better for it."

The Celtics are the third-best team in the Eastern Conference. Now they’ve added depth and scoring with Vucevic, and soon they will add an All-NBA forward in Tatum. 

The Eastern Conference doesn’t look as formidable as it has in the past. The Pistons and Knicks are solid, but a fully healthy Celtics roster wouldn’t fear either of them. The Bucks might not even make the playoffs, and the Magic have taken a step back after a strong year last season. Then you have the Cavaliers, who are also adding a huge piece in James Harden. 

So, if Vucevic clicks in the Celtics' offense and Tatum can return to even 80% of his old self, the Celtics will be sitting pretty. They aren’t fully going to be the favorites to win the East, but they will be a very dangerous team to face come spring.