Over the next few weeks, I will be analyzing and grading different Celtics players. I will take account of each player’s development over their career while looking more closely at what they produced this season. We’ll continue this series with Jaylen Brown.
In case you missed it, check out my analysis of Jayson Tatum.
Career Development
The Celtics drafted Jaylen Brown with the third pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. In his rookie year, Brown came off the bench and scored 6.6 points per game. The following season, Brown cracked the starting lineup and began to produce at a high level. He averaged 14.5 points and 5 rebounds each game.
Year three was a huge disappointment for Jaylen Brown. The Celtics’ chemistry was lost due to most of the team leaving Boston and the arrival of Kyrie Irving. Brown spent this past offseason training and building back up the confidence he had in his sophomore campaign. He’s now averaging career highs in points (20.4), rebounds (6.4), and field goal percentage (56 percent).
Strengths
Dribbling – Brown has improved his ball-handling significantly this season and is now at the point where he can beat almost anyone off the dribble
Creating shots – This is the most developed part of Brown’s game. He uses his ball-handling and athleticism to create shots that defenders can’t block.
Finishing – Similarly to Jayson Tatum, Brown is automatic around the rim and often throws down vicious dunks over defenders.
Corner Threes – Brown shoots 47 percent on three-pointers from the corner, which ranks near the top of the league.
Defense – One of the most underrated defenders in the league, Brown can shut down opposing players with his strength and speed on the defensive end.
Areas for Improvement
Durability – Brown isn’t super injury prone, but he is often sidelined with nagging injuries. A small offseason surgery or a long period of rest could help him improve his durability.
Free throws – Despite improving his free throw percentage from 65 percent last season to 74 percent this season, it is still too low for a starting shooting guard
Passing – Brown ranks near the bottom of the league with 1.1 assists per game. This is the biggest area for improvement considering he handles the ball quite a bit each game.
Overview
Jaylen Brown is one of the most gifted players in the league, and he’s finally starting to take advantage of his athleticism. Brown is an elite scorer, excellent in transition, and a lockdown defender. Despite improving in all aspects of his game this season, Brown still doesn’t have an All-Star appearance. If he can become more durable and fine-tune his shooting, Brown can prove he’s one of the best two-way guards in the league.
Grade: B+
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