Jaylen: Body hasn't felt the same since Covid

[ozgod]

I guess for athletes even what we consider to be minor effects like reduced stamina or breathing issues, become a big deal for them because of the levels they push their bodies to.

Also, he's not mad about Ime criticizing him in the media. Says he didn't take it personally since Ime had a point. I'm sure a more insecure player might have taken offense but Jaylen doesn't strike me as insecure. But those types of things probably are best handled in house. Especially if the player and coach disagree on things.

BOSTON -- Celtics star Jaylen Brown said he's still feeling the after-effects of COVID-19, saying that at times he feels like he has played three games in one.

"I think so," Brown said after Boston's practice Friday, when asked if he's still recovering from COVID-19, for which he tested positive earlier this month. "I've noticed in the last couple of days -- what, four games for me now? -- my body hasn't recovered the same in a sense. I'm talking to our medical staff about that.

"Like, I feel great. And then it feels like instead of playing one game, it kind of feels like I played three. I'm used to my body responding and recovering a lot faster. I know I just turned 25, but this can't be what it looks like on the other side."

Boston announced Brown had tested positive on Oct. 8. After sitting out the requisite 10 days, per the NBA's Health and Safety Protocols, he was able to ramp up in time to play in the season opener Oct. 20 against the New York Knicks.

Brown was spectacular in that game, scoring 46 points in 46 minutes in a double-overtime loss, and he had 30 points in an overtime win in Charlotte on Monday. But he has had two duds in Boston's two home games this season, going a combined 8-for-29 from the field for 22 points, including just 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting in a loss to Washington on Wednesday.

Before the season opener, Brown said he had breathing issues at times, which was his biggest concern in returning from COVID. But while he says that's fine now, Brown said he's also dealing with joint pain in addition to his body not recovering fast enough.

"As I continue to fight through it and continue to play more games and get the right stuff into my system, it will get better," Brown said. "Right now it has been inconsistent. I think that's obvious. But my body hasn't felt the same."

Brown's inconsistency from game to game was described as "mind boggling" by new Celtics coach Ime Udoka following the Washington loss. Brown, who has talked to Udoka since, said the comment didn't bother him and he agreed with Udoka's assessment.

"Ime came and talked to me about it yesterday," Brown said. "It didn't bother me. It's mind-boggling to me too. I was surprised that my body didn't respond the way it normally responds. I'm usually able to have that zip, that pop, flying up and down the court, but it wasn't there. I think that was obvious.

"I don't think he was out of line or anything for that. I gotta be better and get with my medical staff and figure how to get my body to the point where I feel normal. Some days I feel fantastic and then it's like two, three days, it takes my body too long to feel fantastic again. That's an issue for me. As I navigate that, we have to still tighten up on the details, tighten up on our defense and find a way to win games. Even though I don't feel the same on the court, I could still be better in certain areas and detailed in certain areas. That's more the conversation that we have."

Brown, who made his first All-Star team last season, is also dealing with left patella tendinopathy, which caused him to miss Sunday's game in Houston against the Rockets. He also said he has talked to fellow Celtics star Jayson Tatum about his own difficult recovery from COVID-19 last year, though he added it was hard to compare their experiences because they weren't dealing with the same issues.

"I think it affects everybody a little bit differently. I think Jayson, he said more his breathing was more his concern," Brown said. "... My recovery has kind of not been the usual kind of recovery. Like, I usually go through a routine. And that routine works. It's money. I've been doing it for a couple of years. Even after a hard game, I do my routine and I should be fine."

The Celtics (2-3) head to Washington for a rematch with the Wizards on Saturday night. They'll be without Marcus Smart, who won't make the trip because of a non-COVID illness. Dennis Schroder is likely to start in Smart's place.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32503938/boston-celtics-jaylen-brown-says-body-felt-same-having-covid-19

[Celtics4ever]

It definitely is a nasty bug, that should not be taken lightly.

[moiso]

It definitely is a nasty bug, that should not be taken lightly.

I know exactly what he's talking about when Jaylen says he plays one game and the next day it feels like he played three.  I experienced the strange lack of recovery for like 3 1/2 weeks.  When I was just starting to feel symptoms but didn't know I had covid for a couple more days I ran a 10k and when I woke up the next day I would have sworn I ran a marathon.  You know how you should feel.  My guess is that the body is using it's resources to combat the covid and rid it from the body rather than using those resources to recover from a workout.  Notice how well Jaylen played in the first game when he had no previous game to recover from?  Hopefully within a week or so he'll be recovered from the covid and able to recover from exercise like he normally does.  I think total recovery can sometimes take longer for an athlete because they never get the rest that non-athletes get and covid seems to require to get over.  They do their 10 days until they aren't infectious and they are thrown back into their normal routines.  My guess is that Tatum's breathing problems wouldn't have lasted so long if he was forced to take another couple weeks of rest initially.   A body can only do so much at one time, and covid seems to require a huge amount of a body's focus to completely recover from.

[Surferdad]

Well, there you go.  C's 2 best scorers are still suffering from after-effects.  The team is not a full-strength.  I'm sorry for saying the effort hasn't been there.

[hpantazo]

Well, there you go.  C's 2 best scorers are still suffering from after-effects.  The team is not a full-strength.  I'm sorry for saying the effort hasn't been there.

And their coach has been calling them out in the media on top of it. Great start to the season.

[BruceBanner18]

I'm not buying into this narrative. He's vaxxed and young.  Unless we're being lied to about vaccine effectiveness, it's very unlikely he had anything but a mild case. Add to that his coach publicly calling him out which again would be highly unlikely for Ime to do if he had a wiff of communication from Brown or the medical staff that Brown had any lingering effects. It was a leading question from the reporter and Brown is more using it as an excuse.

[Surferdad]

I'm not buying into this narrative. He's vaxxed and young.  Unless we're being lied to about vaccine effectiveness, it's very unlikely he had anything but a mild case. Add to that his coach publicly calling him out which again would be highly unlikely for Ime to do if he had a wiff of communication from Brown or the medical staff that Brown had any lingering effects. It was a leading question from the reporter and Brown is more using it as an excuse.

Oh, here we go, another thread descending into a vaxing debate.  FACT: No one knows all the long-term effects of covid.  We do know it impacts your respiratory system, and athletes are generally HIGHLY in tune with their bodies.  I believe Jaylen.

[SparzWizard]

Well, there you go.  C's 2 best scorers are still suffering from after-effects.  The team is not a full-strength.  I'm sorry for saying the effort hasn't been there.

And their coach has been calling them out in the media on top of it. Great start to the season.

Coach Udoka should suit up and play SG or something so he can also feel the ill-effects of covid, after all, he did get hit with that over the offseason.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I'm not buying into this narrative. He's vaxxed and young.  Unless we're being lied to about vaccine effectiveness, it's very unlikely he had anything but a mild case. Add to that his coach publicly calling him out which again would be highly unlikely for Ime to do if he had a wiff of communication from Brown or the medical staff that Brown had any lingering effects. It was a leading question from the reporter and Brown is more using it as an excuse.

Have you gotten covid at all?

I'm in my mid-30s and have gotten it twice. It took me months to get back to semi-normal after the first time and 2-3 weeks after the second time.

I'm not Jaylen Brown, but Covid sucks and really does have long-lasting effects.

[LilRip]

I'm not buying into this narrative. He's vaxxed and young.  Unless we're being lied to about vaccine effectiveness, it's very unlikely he had anything but a mild case. Add to that his coach publicly calling him out which again would be highly unlikely for Ime to do if he had a wiff of communication from Brown or the medical staff that Brown had any lingering effects. It was a leading question from the reporter and Brown is more using it as an excuse.

Yeah because Brown is absolutely the type to constantly make excuses

[Neurotic Guy]

I'm not buying into this narrative. He's vaxxed and young.  Unless we're being lied to about vaccine effectiveness, it's very unlikely he had anything but a mild case. Add to that his coach publicly calling him out which again would be highly unlikely for Ime to do if he had a wiff of communication from Brown or the medical staff that Brown had any lingering effects. It was a leading question from the reporter and Brown is more using it as an excuse.

Have you gotten covid at all?

I'm in my mid-30s and have gotten it twice. It took me months to get back to semi-normal after the first time and 2-3 weeks after the second time.

I'm not Jaylen Brown, but Covid sucks and really does have long-lasting effects.

Agreed.

Bruce - pretty cynical assumption.   You doubt DWC (above) too? 

Sounds like had a very mild case - milder than JT - but is having some post-Covid body recovery symptoms.  Probably has some relationship to him being a pro athlete and pushing his body far more than any of us do. 

[jambr380]

I'm not buying into this narrative. He's vaxxed and young.  Unless we're being lied to about vaccine effectiveness, it's very unlikely he had anything but a mild case. Add to that his coach publicly calling him out which again would be highly unlikely for Ime to do if he had a wiff of communication from Brown or the medical staff that Brown had any lingering effects. It was a leading question from the reporter and Brown is more using it as an excuse.

It would be pretty cool if we actually knew whether or not Jaylen was vaccinated. For somebody who is never afraid to stand up for issues affecting the lives of people, his comments about his personal situation are ambiguous at best. I posted this in the other thread, and C2021 provided a solid response, but I am disappointed Jaylen hasn't spoken up a little more on the issue - especially if he has been vaccinated:

"I have my own thoughts about it. I respect my teammate's decisions and things like that. I know everybody has their own opinion on it. I think it's a personal choice."

[BruceBanner18]

I'm not buying into this narrative. He's vaxxed and young.  Unless we're being lied to about vaccine effectiveness, it's very unlikely he had anything but a mild case. Add to that his coach publicly calling him out which again would be highly unlikely for Ime to do if he had a wiff of communication from Brown or the medical staff that Brown had any lingering effects. It was a leading question from the reporter and Brown is more using it as an excuse.

Have you gotten covid at all?

I'm in my mid-30s and have gotten it twice. It took me months to get back to semi-normal after the first time and 2-3 weeks after the second time.

I'm not Jaylen Brown, but Covid sucks and really does have long-lasting effects.

Of course COVID sucks my opinion is based on his response. When asked directly if COVID recovery is impacting him he says "I think so". Not Yes. Not I'm still being treated by the medical staff. He answered "Maybe". So even he isn't sure.

He's also unclear about whether the medical staff is even aware of an issue. He says "I gotta get better and get with the medical staff" and "...I could still be better in certain areas and detailed in certain areas. That's more the conversation that we have." At a minimum this indicates his COVID hangover hasn't been the focus of conversations...so why should we make it the main focus of ours

To me this COVID angle is overlooking an on going concern that the Jays do not compliment each other. It seems that there is a tendency when one of them gets it going the other struggles to find their groove. We've only had one game this year in which they both played well. I think that is a much bigger factor and issue.

[GreenlyGreeny]

COVID is an excuse for the fact JT/JB are a horrible fit. They just don’t play well together.

[wdleehi]

So maybe the team should put on a cap on how many minutes Brown can play so he can recover in time for the next game no matter how many overtimes there are.   It might not be that surprising that Brown's worst games have followed overtime games. 

Manage it while he recovers.