Jaylen Brown reveals what makes Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving so powerful to protect

Jaylen Brown claimed the Finals MVP award, largely on account of his spectacular protection on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. His all-around efficiency performed a key position within the Boston Celtics‘ five-game dominance over the Dallas Mavericks.

Brown appeared on the favored present Scorching Ones with Sean Evans, the place he supplied an insightful comparability about guarding the Mavericks’ dynamic duo of Doncic and Irving. He likened it to listening to music.

Jaylen Brown likening protection to music

“There is a rhythm and a cadence to how folks play. Sure guys play to a sure beat, a sure cadence, a sure model. if you understand their model, you possibly can time what they will do subsequent as a result of you understand their rhythm and the BPM they play at,” mentioned the Celtics star.

Drawing from firsthand expertise, Jaylen Brown led the Boston Celtics previous Doncic, Irving, and the Mavericks. Whereas Doncic nonetheless posted spectacular numbers—averaging 29.2 factors, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on 47.2% capturing—his efforts fell brief. The Mavericks managed to interrupt 100 factors in solely one of many 5 Finals video games.

“Luka (Doncic) has a singular rhythm. It’s virtually so gradual that it’s arduous to time. Kyrie has a singular rhythm as nicely, very one-of-one. His strikes and cadences are very arduous to time. He is acquired lots of counters, he can pivot off each toes, he can shoot with each palms, and he can drive in each instructions, which makes his rhythm so much more durable to trace,” Brown continued.

It is a distinctive strategy to describing protection, nevertheless it highlights why Dallas’ offense is so troublesome to comprise. With gamers as distinct as Doncic and Irving, defending requires not simply talent but additionally a substantial amount of endurance and anticipation to maintain them in test with out committing fouls.

“Some guys solely go proper, some guys solely go left, and a few guys have two strikes that they go to. So, I take a look at basketball as poetry in movement, which is music. All people is enjoying their very own tune. All people samples from completely different artists. If you wish to cease them you gotta research their rhythm, you gotta study when their beat is about to drop.”

Brown and the Celtics stifling Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving

Brown was essential in limiting Kyrie Irving’s impression, limiting him to 19.8 factors, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists whereas capturing 41.4%. This marked an enormous decline for Irving, who had been a potent scorer all through each the common season and Playoffs.

The Celtics general successfully contained the Mavericks’ stars, significantly throughout the three video games in Boston. They held Irving to only over 14 factors per recreation whereas making Doncic earn each level, limiting his capacity to execute his uncommon passes to open shooters regardless of him nonetheless averaging 30 factors per recreation.

Boston is understood for his or her high-powered offense that led the league in offensive ranking and ranked second in staff scoring, leaned on their stifling protection to carry the Mavericks to only 99.2 factors per recreation, nicely under their common season common of 117.9 PPG.

With Dallas’ dynamic duo unable to carry out successfully collectively, Boston efficiently neutralized the formidable Mavericks offense, successful the Larry O’Brien trophy. Jaylen Brown earned the 2024 NBA Finals MVP award, regardless of Jayson Tatum posting higher statistics, as many imagine Brown’s defensive contributions had been the important thing distinction.