#jaylen-brown

#jaylen-brown

The Celtics were a combination of unlucky and inattentive in the final minutes, which is not a good combination for a team that can no longer get by on talent alone. First, some unlucky: With 2:20 remaining, Sixers rookie V.J. Edgecombe fired up a 3-pointer that bounded high off the back rim and seemed to scrape the rafters before falling back through, which gave Philadelphia a crucial two-possession advantage at 100-96.

Ahead of the Celtics' season opener Wednesday, Brown served as a pre-audition guest judge as part of comedian Druski's "Coulda Been Records" Boston auditions. Brown particpated in a role similar to that of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson -- who made an appearance in May -- as the decision-maker to determine if contestants should advance to the next round of their audition for the record label: to get in front of Druski, the fictional label's CEO.

Every team has a betting angle -- from player props to team futures -- and that's why we're here to help you find the best futures bet from each of the NBA's 30 teams. André Snellings made his picks for the Eastern Conference, Eric Moody did the same for the Western Conference. Odds as of publication. For the most up to date odds, visit ESPN BET.

"For him, it's about what he can do better on the court," Pierce said. "This is the thing: when you start getting more of the rope, you've got to be more responsible. "So he's going to get more leeway - and not that he didn't have all of the leeway, but now he's the main focus. So with that comes more responsibility. You know, 'How do I get my other teammates involved more? Where I gotta maybe change my game up a little bit?'"