Celtics showing Post All-Star Break Maturity

There was no Post All-Star break hangover for Boston. Instead, they hung another beatdown on Brooklyn and reminded us all once again that they are growing into a legit threat in the East.

BROOKLYN, NY – Being an NBA head coach is more than just X’s and O’s, jumping on team planes from one city to another, and managing egos.

There’s a caretaker dynamic of the job, with the degree of difficulty often coming down to experience or a lack thereof.

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has been around the NBA long enough to know that while developing the youngsters is nice and makes a lot of sense over time, having real-time success in the NBA is the work of grown men.

That maturity can manifest itself in many ways.

When it comes to the Celtics, their maturation comes in the form of picking up where they left off in the weeks leading up to the All-Star break.

Boston jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back in defeating an undermanned Brooklyn Nets team, 129-106.

The Nets, losers in 13 of their last 14 games, were without their talented triumvirate of players - Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons.

And Boston, at full strength with Marcus Smart (right ankle) and Robert Williams III (right calf) returning to the lineup, the Celtics had no problem putting the Brooklyn Nets away.

The win was predictable when you consider how Boston has played of late, and the Nets still playing without their best players.

But for them to show no let-up for three-plus quarters, speaks to how different this team is from some of the Celtics squads we’ve seen in recent years.

Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations, didn’t waste much time establishing himself as one of the better head coaches in the NBA when Danny Ainge lured him from Butler in 2013 to be the Celtics' head coach.

But if there was one area in which Stevens-coached teams were consistently bad at, it had to do with how they came back from the All-Star break.

In Stevens’ eight seasons in Boston, his teams were just 2-6 in the first game after the break.

And while there are still plenty of games left that will determine how far this current Celtics team will go, playing with the level of focus and intensity - and maturity - bodes well for their chances to keep on winning which will move them closer to NBA’s Big Boys.

STARS

Jayson Tatum: Just another day at the office for Jayson Tatum, putting his imprint on the game in a multitude of ways. He led all scorers with 30 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists.

STUDS

Jaylen Brown: The ability to score in transition and knock down open or lightly contested jumpers, continues to be what more nights than not, sets Jaylen Brown apart from others. He

was everything and then some early on for Boston, scoring 18 points with six assists.

Marcus Smart: The All-Star break looks like it was just what Marcus Smart needed. He looked energized from the outset, at both ends of the floor. He would finish the game with 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field to go with six assists and three rebounds.

Bruce Brown: The Boston native was making the most of his opportunity to shine, with Brooklyn’s new-look Big Three (Kevin Durant; Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons) all out for Thursday night’s game against Boston. Brown made the most of his expanded role, scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds while dishing out four assists.

DUDS

Patty Mills: The last Brooklyn Nets starter introduced, Mills looked nothing even remotely close to being a high-impact, difference-maker offensively. MIlls missed all nine of his shots from the field and finished with just one point which, to be frank, was pointless.