Dee Brown Plays Big in Win

1990-91 Boston Celtics
Remembering the 29-5 Start

It was after an exhibition outing in Hartford, the Celtics vs. the Pistons, and Isiah Thomas was paying tribute to his Eastern Conference rivals.

"Brian Shaw is really good," said Thomas. "And I don't even want to see Dee Brown."

Brown couldn't suit up that night because of an infected toe. Last night? He was just fine, suited up, toes healthy, body itching for a taste of this rivalry he tried to memorize.

"Contain the guards," said Brown. "That's been the focus for two days."

That was hardly the strategy in the opposing locker room, where shutting down the front line was the top priority. Contain Boston's guards? Make sure they can nail the jumper off the double-team first.

Last night, anyway, at least one Celtic backcourt player made good on the challenge. Dee Brown shot 6 for 9 from the floor, scored 12 points, dished out 6 assists and turned the ball over just once. Not coincidentally, Boston won, 108-100.

"He's a player," said Thomas. "He's pretty quick. We wanted to take him in the draft, but he was gone."

Brown remembers his predraft visit to Detroit clearly. Thomas talked to him the most, told him what the NBA would be like.

"I remember he said, 'If I don't see you in Detroit, you'll see me during the season,' " said Brown. "I knew about this rivalry, but you can't get prepared for this. You can't prepare for the intensity. I don't know what it is exactly, but it's . . . serious."

The season has been unfolding in nice increments for him. He has not been asked to do too much, yet he has been asked to do a lot. Scoring has not been a priority, just a bonus. His confidence has been allowed to blossom uninterrupted.

Last night the process took another step forward. With 4:45 left in the third, Shaw left the floor with his fourth foul. The rookie was summoned to protect a 12-point lead.

The Pistons took note of the new kid and immediately put the press on. Brown responded by moving the ball quickly up the floor, dishing to Robert Parish for the slam.

"I was shocked at his talent level," Mark Aguirre would say later. "He's so seasoned. He doesn't play out of control. He knows where to get the ball. The Celtics have got something there."

"What's not to like?" added Detroit assistant Brendan Malone. "We loved him. And if he starts making those jumpers, who are we going to lay off? If he can consistently bury the outside shot, watch out."

The aforementioned jump shots were not only technically accurate, they were timely as well. Aside from the three in a row he buried late in the third to keep Boston's lead at 14 (88-74), there was one 18-footer that might just be the biggest jumper Brown has taken in his loosely fitted Celtic uniform.

At the time, the Pistons were in the midst of an 8-0 run. They cut the Celtics' lead to 8, and the momentum threatened to shift. Instead, Brown lined up on the right side of the floor and drilled what would be his final jumper of the evening.

"That shot," said Thomas, "was probably the biggest one of the night."

The kid gave way to the veteran, Shaw, with 7:40 to play, then watched as the Celtics hung on to defeat the defending world champions. He savored the win and hoped he made a point.

"I think the scouting report on Dee Brown is to lay off him," said Brown. "But I think I'm a better shooter than a slasher. I just got a reputation in college as a slasher because I was quick enough to go by people."

Reputations don't last in the NBA. Players do. Brown will be around a while.