With Kawhi Leonard heading back into the offseason, Team USA did not take so long to find his replacement. Of course, there were a lot of questions raised when Derrick White was chosen to compete in the Olympics. Jaylen Brown on the other hand was the only member core member of the Celtic team not on the roster. Tatum, White, and Holiday will be flying to Paris this month. The USAB team has three players from the championship team, but that does not include the Finals MVP. Was this a snub? For the most part, it was. But that doesn’t deny what White can bring to the table for Team USA.

Brown had the best postseason run of his career. He was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP. He averaged 20.8 points in the Finals with 5.4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.6 steals. Not only that but when talking about the aspects that need to be compensated in Kawhi’s absence, Brown has it all. JB can play suffocating defense, he can shoot, he can score, and is an all-rounder. In other words, he’s the perfect replacement for Kawhi. But with everything said and done, how does this affect the team chemistry? Although the Celtics front office has no strings connected, this decision from USAB may impact what goes on in the locker room.

Seth Greenberg was quite straightforward with what the Celtics can do in regards to the current scenario, with Brown not on the national team. “Look this is a USA Basketball decision. This is not a Boston Celtic decision. This is Grant Hill saying ‘What does this team need? What is the missing piece now that we lose Kawhi Leonard?’. But if you’re the Boston Celtics and I’d ask Mike T this question, you must address this issue, because you’ve got a great locker room, you’re coming off a championship, you have a team that’s built to defend, and maybe make a run to be the next, basically, dynasty in the NBA, you don’t want to mess up with that chemistry… This is a USA Basketball decision but it still affects your locker room if you’re basically the front office of the Celtics.”, said Greenberg.

In terms of how White will perform in the Olympics, he will have the same role as he did in Boston. White would be a role player alongside other All-Stars. And in that case, he is a good replacement for Leonard. But as they move on from this tour, the three Celtics will ultimately return to their home. Yes, there will be practices and scrimmages before the Celtics look to make another dominant run next year. This is where the Celtics coaching staff and the front office come into play.

How can the Celtics neutralize this scenario with Jaylen Brown?

At some point, the coaches and the front office members will have to take this situation seriously. This team is worthy of becoming a dynasty in the future. And to keep things that way, the Celtics must appreciate Brown’s talents. In simpler language, they can look to acknowledge that Brown was worthy of playing in the Olympics, though due to reasons out of their hands, JB couldn’t. Derrick is also a great player who showed significant improvement in the previous season. But at the end of the day, the franchise has to appreciate what its core has brought them this year, especially Brown.

Apart from the team, there would be talks among JB, Tatum, and others. The Celtics can look to pick this approach to avoid any misunderstanding and friction in the locker room. Regardless, seeing how White performs in Paris will be intriguing, as Team USA kicks off their friendly games. What are your thoughts on Jaylen Brown not on the USAB team? Do you think White can fill Lenoard’s spot? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what brand maker, Leonard Armato, had to say about the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe, check out this exclusive video by EssentiallySports.