Is Jaylen Brown playing tonight against the New York Knicks? Latest injury update from Boston Celtics (Oct. 9)

Jaylen Brown is expected to play against the New York Knicks on Monday, Oct. 9. The All-NBA wing suited up for the Boston Celtics in their preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers a day earlier. Boston is heading into the second night of a back-to-back.

Against the Sixers, Brown produced 19 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 25 minutes of playing time. The Georgia native shot 70% from the field and hit one of his two shots from the 3-point range. Brown played his first game since signing a supermax contract extension earlier this summer.

Brown will have a new role for the Celtics this season. He will sometimes become the third offensive option behind Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis. Moreover, as we saw against the Sixers, he will be tasked with leading the line at other times, spearheading Joe Mazzulla's team with the second unit.

Last season, Jaylen Brown earned his second All-Star appearance and got named to the All-NBA second team. The veteran wing will want to build on that success as he looks to prove himself as one of the most talented two-way wings in the NBA.

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Jaylen Brown has areas to improve

This summer, NBA fans have mocked Jaylen Brown for his inability to dribble with his left hand. Brown has also struggled when caring for the ball and has almost as many turnovers (949) as he does assists (1054) in his career. He has also struggled to operate as a playmaker.

The veteran wing often drives into the teeth of the defense without having a plan on what to do next. As such, Brown consistently finds himself turning over the ball. However, the narrative surrounding his left hand is new.

In 2021, Brown underwent an operation to fix a torn ligament in his left wrist. Since then, his dribble has been looser and hasn't shown any signs of improving. Of course, the Boston Celtics will look to minimize Brown's struggles when going left.

Mazzulla will likely feature Brown as a scorer rather than an initiator. Brown could become a shooting assassin without taking too many touches by curling off screens, driving the lane or cutting into open space.

Still, at 26, Brown has plenty of opportunity to improve his left-handed dribble and processing speed. That could help him become a more potent threat when operating as a lead ball-handler.

However, the Celtics don't have the luxury of affording Jaylen Brown developmental minutes. Instead, they will utilize him where he's at his best — scoring the basketball.