Jaylen Brown (concussion) shooting for Sunday return

Jaylen Brown flew with the Celtics for their west coast trip that starts on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers and took part in portions of the team's practice today at the Moda Center.

The second-year guard has missed five-straight games as he recovers from the lingering effects of a concussion suffered in a win over the Wolves on March 8th. Brown's hard fall after losing his grip on the rim in the wake of a dunk has left him with a sore back, neck, and a concussion over the past couple weeks.

Brown made his first public appearance with his teammates on Tuesday at the TD Garden, sitting on the bench with fellow injured teammates Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart during Boston's win. However, as he continues to progress through the NBA's strict concussion protocol, it appears he is on the verge of returning to the floor for game action.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Brown told reporters in Portland. "I'm tired of not playing and stuff. Just trying to make sure I'm 100 percent. Taking care of the head, back and neck area because it's crucial. I just want to take care of all of those areas and get back to the team as soon as possible."

Barring any setbacks over the next couple days, Brown said he is aiming to return to the floor for Sunday's matchup with the Sacramento Kings, the second game of the team's four-day road trip.

BSJ Analysis: The 6-foot-7 guard won't solve all of Boston's scoring woes when he does eventually return to the floor, but his mere presence will make life a lot easier for Brad Stevens as he sorts out his team's rotation. By inserting Brown back into his usual starting spot at the two, Jayson Tatum will shift back to small forward while Marcus Morris gets sent back to the bench.

The presence of Morris should take a lot of pressure off the second unit immediately. He's been on a tear since the All-Star break and should help keep the floor spread around a post fixture like Greg Monroe. There will also be less of a need for reserve point guard Shane Larkin to be a shot creator, which can be a hit-or-miss proposition on a nightly basis. Instead, he can focus on his strengths in facilitating, defense and shooting from the perimeter.

Perhaps most importantly, the return of Brown will give Stevens some flexibility when handing out minutes towards wings at the end of the bench. Abdel Nader and Semi Ojeleye will not disappear from the rotation entirely, but Stevens will now have the freedom to pull the plug on one of them early in a contest if they are struggling on either end. A lack of able bodies on the wing prevented that possibility for the last couple weeks.

With Brown back in the fold, this team shouldn't have to fight too hard to take down tanking squads like the Kings and Suns on the road next week and inch closer to wrapping up that second seed before the final week of the year. At that point, Stevens can take the foot off the gas with the rest of his veterans and ensure everyone is refreshed before the start of the East postseason. Boston's magic number to clinch the No. 2 seed is six.