Boston's young star continues to exceed expectations with consistent and steady improvement
On the evening of June 23, 2016 Celtics owner, Wyc Grousbeck, stood in front of Celtics season ticket holders at the Boston Garden and was loudly booed for selecting University of California's, Jaylen Brown, as the Celtics 3rd pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. Grousbeck had promised "fireworks" earlier in the offseason and there were persistent rumors that the Bulls were shopping Jimmy Butler and that they preferred Providence guard, Kris Dunn, over Brown. The Boston Garden crowd and fandom (present company included) preferred that Ainge, Grousbeck, and company trade for a star that would catapult the Celtics into instant title contenders over a potential draft project with a perceived limited upside.
“Fourteen years, that’s probably the worst [reaction] I’ve gotten,” Grousbeck said at the time.
““Fourteen years, that’s probably the worst [reaction] I’ve gotten,” Grousbeck said.
What the Garden crowd and probably not even Grousbeck realized at the time was that Danny Ainge, made one of his most important and quite possibly best draft pick of his tenure as General Manager of the Boston Celtics. Since draft night and throughout most of Brown's career in Boston - basketball pundits, fans, and experts have focused on Jaylen Brown's perceived limitations and have placed ceilings on Brown's potential as a player. Brown in return has shown a tenacity to improve that has led to him to become one of Boston's most reliable players while taking on an assortment of roles over his four plus seasons with the Celtics.
The pre-draft scouting reports on Jaylen Brown painted a picture of an inefficient scorer who had mechanical problems with his shot and an inconsistent slasher and finisher at the basket. For all the shade thrown Browns way over his offense, scouts saw a defender who had the requisite body type (strength and a seven foot wing-span), but lacked the consistent focus needed to defend multiple positions in the NBA. There were also whispers that Brown's high level of intelligence would lead to varying interests outside the game that would hinder his development. The last point was always extremely flawed, the premise that intelligent people won't make for good professional athletes is absurd and is probably born out of insecurity from the "pundit" making the analysis.
Under typical circumstance the number 3 overall pick in the draft would be thrown right into the NBA fire and would be given a long leash by the organization. Jaylen wasn't afforded that luxury with the Celtics. He was drafted by a team that had a roster of veterans that had an opportunity to compete in weak Eastern Conference. His coach, Brad Stevens, believes that all playing time should be earned - even for the third pick in the draft. As a result Jaylen only averaged only a notch over 17 minutes a game - while playing under 10 minutes in 15 games his rookie season.
The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals behind inspired play from Isaiah Thomas and a roster filled with overachieving role players. Jaylen found himself playing behind Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, and battling for minutes with Gerald Green. In his limited opportunities Jaylen showed that he was a plus individual defender who showed growth within in the team's scheme, and offensively he was a better than advertised shooter (34.1% from 3) and a straight-line slasher who struggled at the rim and was overly dependent on his athleticism. His ball handling was also a clear flaw in his game - his handle was high and loose and when he attempted to dribble the ball low it often resulted in a turnover. Although Jaylen was seen to have potential to become a solid starter - not many (if any) people around the league envisioned him becoming a star.
Jaylen went into the offseason after his rookie year clearly focused on improving two of his most glaring weaknesses - shooting and ball handling. He released videos of himself honing in on those skills.
Jaylen was asked to participate in the Vegas Summer League prior to his sophomore campaign. Some high picks would have been insulted at the idea of being asked to play rookie ball heading into their second season - Jaylen seized the opportunity to not only improve at his craft but to also use the opportunity develop as a leader.
Jaylen's second season was once again filled with unusual circumstances for a young prospect trying to make a name for himself. The Celtics made major moves in the offseason to make them championship contenders. They drafted Jayson Tatum, traded for Kyrie Irving, and signed Gordon Hayward. Jaylen's improved play and season ending injuries to Hayward and Irving opened up plenty of opportunities for Brown. Jaylen saw his points per game go from 6.6 to 14.5 and his three pointing shooting was much improved making 1.7 3's a game while nearly shooting 40% from distance. He and Jayson Tatum led the Celtics to all the way to a Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals agains the Cavs and LeBron James. Brown's improvement was even more pronounced in the playoffs - raising his PPG to 18 during the run and accounting for multiple 30 point efforts. The narrative about Brown once again had changed as the basketball world now saw a gifted young player that had the potential to be an All-Star in the league.
Brown's third season may have been the most unforgettable of his career, but it was mostly due to a talented but poorly constructed Celtics roster. Jaylen was once again relegated to a bit part of the Celtics rotation losing both minutes and his starting position to veteran players who were returning from injury or on the cusp of free agency. Brown took the demotion in stride and it could be argued that he was the Celtics most consistent performer from late December through the end of the season. And if you weren't paying close enough attention you would have missed that Brown had improved on central parts of his. Brown finishing around the rim greatly improved his FG% from 0-3 ft went from 62% the previous season to just under 66%. Brown also continued to improve his handle and was seen a plus defender that could defend multiple positions. Despite improvements to his game - many pundits were down on Brown and believed the Celtics overpaid him when they signed him to 115 million dollar extension in the offseason.
Jaylen's third offseason was perhaps the most pivotal of his young career: He signed is $115 million rookie extension, made the U.S.A basketball team to compete in the World Cup, and saw in overhaul of the Celtics roster. Out were Irving, Horford, Rozier, Morris, and Baynes and in was Kemba Walker.
Overall Team USA underperformed in the World Cup and never quite gelled as a team, but it still served as a positive experience for the young Celtics (Tatum, Brown, and Smart) on the team and their new teammate (Walker). Brown, Tatum, and Smart grew close to Walker and found in him a star that was more than willing to share the spotlight with them for the good of the team. Brown was also able to showcase all aspects of his game. During the world cup Brown showed improved playmaking capabilities, a lower dribble and tighter handle in the crowded paint, a blossoming mid-range game, stronger finishing around the rim, and perhaps his most underrated the ability and trust of his coaches to cover players much bigger than him.
As a result of the departure of former teammates and Brown's continued improved play - Jaylen was reinserted back into the starting lineup and was giving increased responsibilities for the Celtics for the 2019-2020 season. As a result Brown thrived and posted nearly career highs across the board in scoring, rebounds, win shares, usage rates, and field goal percentage. He was also arguably Boston's best defender and was often assigned to cover the opposing teams best player. Whether that was a versatile wing, LeBron James, or Anthony Davis. In the February 22nd game against the Lakers last year Brown was asked to cover both Davis and James at different points in the game. The clip below shows how Brown utilizes his strength and great defensive positioning to force Davis to take an uncomfortable shot on the post. It's obviously not ideal to have Brown cover a mega-star and giant like Davis for an entire course of a game, but the ability to do so in spurts is a credit to Browns defensive versatility.
Brown's increased opportunities and improved play nearly landed him an All-Star birth - just missing out as teammate Jayson Tatum and the Raptors, Pascal Siakam was chosen ahead of him. Many opined that Jaylen was not selected due the fact he wasn't a featured part of the offense, but was instead a beneficiary of the the talent around him (Walker, Tatum, and Hayward). Shortly after the All-Star break the world shut down and so did the NBA. We would have to wait several months for the season to resume in the bubble down in Orlando, but when it did so did further opportunities arise for Brown to showcase his game and leadership skills.
The Bubble
In the bubble the Celtics were often shorthanded due to lingering knee issues for Kemba Walker and a playoff ankle injury to Gordon Hayward. This forced Jaylen Brown into a more featured role in the Celtics offense. For the most part he handled it well. His shot attempts went up and he was asked to carry more of the playmaking duties. Brown continued to be a reliable finisher at the rim and saw increased opportunities from the foul line - a key development for a player who wants to reach stardom. Brown also featured a very efficient mid-range game - a shot that becomes extremely difficult to defend due to the fact you have to respect Brown's ability to explode to the rim. In the playoffs Brown had the opportunity to matchup with and Pascal Siakam. Brown dominated the matchup - eviscerating the All-NBA selection on both ends of the court.
Jaylen's most defining moment in the bubble was not something that happened on the court. It was his rise as a leader for both the Celtics and players across the league. At only 23, Brown was already the youngest ever member of the NBPA executive board and during a time of unrest over social and racial injustices in our nation - Brown stood up and was able to to discuss eloquently and forcefully on the issues of racial injustices and police brutality within the United States. It was reportedly Brown who encouraged his fellow players to stay in the bubble after the killing of George Floyd and to use the leverage that the players had to force the owners to wield their power, money, and influence social justice initiatives. The leverage play from the players worked as the owners agreed to open arenas for voting, register voters, pour money into the social justice movement, and lobby local, state, and federal governments for real change. Jaylen's ability to lead off the court on social justice issues stirred memories of former Celtics greats like Bill Russell and K.C. Jones.
Not everything was roses for the Celtics and Brown inside the bubble as the Celtics disappointed in the Eastern Conference Finals and Brown struggled when called upon to be focus of the offense with Tatum off the court. As the season concluded the narrative changed for Brown again: He was now a really good, but not great player who could contend for All-Star births.
This past offseason for the Celtics was like the all things coronavirus - odd, unsettling, and confusing. The draft and free agency was compressed to about two weeks and the Celtics were expected back on the court for a shortened training camp only 7 weeks after finishing a stressful and long playoff run in the bubble. On top of that Gordon Hayward left town for greener pastures and more playing time and Kemba Walker has been sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury. Jaylen Brown would be expected to become a featured part of the offense for the first time in his career. Based of the limited returns inside the bubble there were/are legitimate questions of whether he can carry that load. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that he has thrived in the early part of the season. Through six games he is averaging over 29 points a game, he is 57% from the field, and is getting to the line more than he has ever before. He is already almost halfway to his career high in offensive win shares for the season! And his mid-range game has become virtually ungaurdable - able to create so much space off the dribble that defenders are barley able to bother his shot. The shot is so underutilized in today's NBA that Brown has perhaps found a market-correction that he can take advantage of. Brown is also being utilized and featured in pick and roll action for the first time in his career - and has thus far capitalized on most of those opportunities. Early in this season Brown has shown continued improvement with his handle and playmaking, and he has been fully capable initiating the offense with the second unit. Brown's full arsenal was on display on Christmas day against the Nets:
Typically when a player is 24 years old and is entering into season 5 we have a general understanding of exactly who he is as a player - especially if they were the third pick in the draft. Brown is a unique circumstance as his career arc did not lineup with the typical opportunities that his high selection would afford. For the the first time in his career he is playing a featured role within the Celtics offense and early season results are encouraging. There is a chance that this a tiny sample size and that Brown will regress and continue to be somewhere between an All-Star and fringe All-Star level player, but there is also a chance we are seeing a superstar blossom before our eyes. Throughout his career Brown has answered the call whenever opportunity has rang, and it will be fascinating to watch and see how Brown responds the biggest opportunity of his young career. If he continues to excel with the added responsibility the trajectory of his career and the fortunes of Boston Celtics could reach the ultimate heights. Brown has never been thought of as a potential superstar in the league, but perhaps all that he has needed was an opportunity to prove that he can be. Time will tell, and we are about to find out.