Jaylen Brown is doing the dirty work the 76ers need him to do

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team full of stars. That’s what they signed up for this summer when they made all the moves they did. Trading for Jaylen Brown. Signing LeBron James in free agency. They created a star-studded cast, and inevitably, some of them would have to do some role-player things. That’s exactly what Brown did for Philly on Wednesday night.

The Sixers played an Indiana Pacers squad without Tyrese Haliburton, but it’s a tough squad nonetheless. Throughout the game, Brown did the dirty work. He wasn’t just out there to score the ball and take over the offense. He grabbed rebounds. Brown pulled down 10 boards, including four offensive rebounds.

Having a guy willing to chip in like that is huge. The Sixers need to make a team effort to rebound, hustle, and play hard on both ends. Brown embodied that on Wednesday night against Indy.

Jaylen Brown is doing the dirty work

That’s obviously not all Brown brought to the table. He did a little bit of everything for the Sixers, just like he has been doing all year in the first few games with his new teams.

Brown finished the game on Wednesday night with 20 points, 10 rebounds (four OREBs), two assists, one steal, and one block. He shot 7-of-13 from the field, 1-of-3 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.

Having a superstar willing to help out on the glass, on defense, and in the trenches is exactly what Philly needs. It’s what every star around the league should do, but not all of them do.

Some stars just want to score. They just want to get their stats and go home. That’s not Brown. That’s not what he brings to the table. And that’s why he’s going to fit in well with the rest of Philly’s stars.

Now, Brown does have to watch the turnovers. He turned the ball over five times against the Pacers. That said, his turnovers are way down from last season (though that year was a bit of an outlier, anyway).

All of Philly’s stars need to do a bit of everything. They need to win by committee. It’s not necessarily sacrificing; it’s just doing more than you’re used to doing.

Instead of just scoring or just playmaking, it’s hustling more on defense. It’s crashing the glass. It’s locking up opposing players. It’s playing off the ball and being willing to do so.

That’s what Brown needs to do, it’s what he’s been doing, and it’s what he showed off on Wednesday night. Grabbing 10 boards and four offensive rebounds is a perfect example of doing the extra work.