Brown and Smart Already Working Well Together
Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart are already building the chemistry they need to lead this team into the future
The Boston Celtics drafted Jaylen Brown knowing that his personality and demeanour on the court was a great fit with the the core of players they currently have. It comes as no surprise that the emotional leader of the team, Marcus Smart, is already building chemistry with Brown (via Mass Live) and establishing a level of competition that will allow them to push each others’ limits.
We already know the kind of intensity and energy that Smart plays with and the quickest way Brown can earn a role is playing with that same kind of mentality. Physcially, Brown is ready at just 19 years old and this is a great indication that Brown can be way ahead of his years mentally too.
Chemistry between Smart and Brown will also be vital to their rotation. Smart should be the most important player on the second unit, and Brown’s value as the only backup small forward will be huge. The one thing these two need to bring each and every play they are on the court is defense, and Smart was able to excel so quickly in the NBA largely because of that relentless aggression on the defensive end.
Brown had already shown hints in interviews regarding that kind of mentality. His work ethic has never been questioned and even if he takes time to develop into a reliable offensive option, his combination of physical attributes and competitiveness is exactly how the Celtics have flourished despite being considered an under talented team.
Another aspect to the approach Brown appears to be taking is it makes for a great transition from Jae Crowder to Brown. The only other player on the Celtics that can match Smart’s intensity is Crowder, and that has gone a long way in helping the most important defensive player on the Celtics.
Fundamentally and technically, Brown cannot hope to reach Crowder’s level on the defensive end. That being said, it is not a stretch to say he is a superior athlete and if he can hold his own with Smart and Crowder when it comes to intensity, he will be a factor immediately as a rookie.
The Celtics have proven that they are willing to play rookies, but there has been a similar theme. Both Smart and Terry Rozier were given great opportunities in their rookie seasons, and they did that despite being complete liabilities on the offensive end. It really is hard to imagine Brown being worse than either of them as a shooter and that means his defensive intensity will be enough to earn that role.
Especially considering the other small forward depth around him, Brown is the only other player on the roster that can bring that kind of defense as a backup three. Gerald Green has never been that kind of defender, and he has saved his intensity for dunking the ball. Jonas Jerebko has been a sound defender, but has never separated himself on the emotional end, and has never emerged as a true impact player on that end either.
Having this approach during the offseason is far away from what he needs to become in the NBA, but this is exactly what the Celtics want to see out of him, and it is exactly what they want to see out of Smart. As exciting as it is to see Brown already being this competitive with Smart, it is even more exciting to see Smart blossoming as a leader.
It is rare that a player as young as Smart emerges as a leader on the team, but he cemented that role last season. He may not be the ball handler and he may not be the instigator on offense, but Smart sets the tone in the locker room and on the defensive end. He and Crowder have embraced the underdog, us against the world mentality and it has them playing with the aggression that is necessary for them to be successful.
Much of the Celtics’ long term future will hinge on their two highest draft selections since the rebuild began. Even as a rookie, the hype around Smart was real and even though he has failed miserably on offense, his defense has the fans and the organization believing that he is the future. Brown should have a similar opportunity to establish himself the way Smart did.
Given the talent discrepancy from when Smart was a rookie, it is hard to expect Brown to have as big of a role as Smart did. But, the Celtics actually got less talented at the small forward position when they lost Evan Turner, and the Celtics’ faith in Brown may be the biggest reason why they let Turner go in free agency.
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It is early in the offseason but Smart and Brown building chemistry is exactly what they need to continually maintain the edge that has given them success over the last two seasons.