Celtics' Udoka: Brown's uneven performances 'mind-boggling'

Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka doesn't quite know what to make of Jaylen Brown's up-and-down start to the 2021-22 campaign.

Brown scored a career-high 46 points in the Celtics' season opener against the New York Knicks but has followed that with some rough shooting performances.

"It's a tough one; I see it as well," Udoka said of Brown's inconsistent play after Boston's 116-107 loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive.com. "I'm trying to ramp him up during the game, pump him up to get going. But the contrast of some of those previous games - especially Charlotte (Hornets) and the New York game and the way you see him come out (Wednesday) - is kind of mind-boggling."

Brown posted 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting in Wednesday's defeat. He was held to only nine points last week against the Toronto Raptors. The All-Star guard didn't register fewer than 12 points in a game last season.

Udoka believes Brown's uneven performances could be due to a recent bout with COVID-19 or a knee injury. Regardless, the first-year NBA head coach is taking it upon himself to help Brown snap out of his mini-funk.

"It can be a number of things," Udoka said. "He was out for 10 days ... and was banged up with the knee, but just got to find the juice from the start. It's something that I can help him with, put him in some positions to get going but when I see that, have to jump on it early and help him get going."