Jaylen Brown declines to confirm status for Raptors playoff series

As the Toronto Raptors prepare for what should be a very intense first-round playoff series, they have the unexpected advantage of a vaccine mandate that would make it impossible for unvaccinated players to suit up in Scotiabank Arena. This could come into play if they take on Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics.

The existing vaccine mandate means that players who have not inoculated themselves against COVID-19 will be unable to enter the country and play games against the Raptors. Despite his importance to the team and status within the league, Brown has been unusually coy about his availability.

Brown, who is the vice president of the Players Association, said that he is “ready to play against anyone” in the postseason. However, when asked about his availability for a potential series in Toronto, Brown said that he wants to “respect privacy” before refusing to elaborate further.

You know…you could’ve just said yes if you were vaccinated, Jaylen. The word salad answer certainly didn’t put any speculation that he has not gotten the shot to bed. Toronto might not be able to operate under the assumption that he can play if these two teams face off in the postseason.

Will Jaylen Brown play against the Toronto Raptors?

When the Celtics last went to Toronto, four starters, including Al Horford and Jayson Tatum, did not play thanks to a very long list of injuries. While Horford said that he was “ready to play wherever” and Tatum confirmed he was vaccinated, Brown has not made a statement as definitive as either of those two.

If Brown is unable to play road games, this could be a crippling blow to Boston’s morale. With Brown averaging 23.4 points per game this season, he’s shown he is an elite shooter and scorer that can flip the balance of a game whenever he wants. Not having him in Toronto might shift the dynamic of the series.

There’s a difference between respecting someone’s privacy over medical matters and letting the media know if you’ll be able to play half of the games in a potential postseason series. Through either getting the shot or coming out as vaccinated, Brown can put all of this to bed.

The Raptors have the star power needed to take advantage of Brown potentially sitting out. While the Celtics proved they can hang with the Raptors without Brown tanks to Ime Udoka’s crunching defensive scheme, they might not be so lucky throughout a seven-game series.