Boston Celtics Should Draft Jaylen Brown

He’s not mentioned a lot when discussing the third pick, but Jaylen Brown would be a perfect fit in Boston

Jaylen Brown surprised everyone last year when the #4 ranked high school recruit, according to ESPN, chose to play college basketball at California. Now, he has a chance to surprise a lot of people again as he has the chance to be the third player taken in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Dragan Bender, Buddy Hield, and Jamal Murray have gotten all the attention from the media when discussing the third pick. Even Marquese Chriss has joined the discussion as a possibility for the Celtics. Yet, arguably the best player available, Jaylen Brown, has been forgotten about.

For one, his size is unmatched by wing players in this year’s draft. His 6’7″ and 225 pound build is comparable to LeBron James when he entered the league. James measured in at 6’8″ and 245 pounds, however, Brown has the same tank-like body that James’ possesses. It’s rare to find a 19-year-old who has an NBA-ready body that will allow him to play in the paint with NBA big men.

It’s difficult to find a shooting guard in the league who can play bully ball down low on defense, let alone one at his age. He’s never been a player you can push around down low, however, he’s also a nightmare to be guarded by on the perimeter because of his athleticism.

You can make the argument that Jaylen Brown is the most athletic player in the draft, and that’s an area where the Celtics are lacking. They don’t have a high-flyer on their roster who can finish alley-oops or make rundown blocks. While it has helped Brown on defense, his offense is what catches most team’s eyes.

No, he’s not the three-point threat that Boston would like to add this off-season, although he’s a scorer who can play both the shooting guard and small forward position. It would add a new dynamic to a team who relies heavily on catch-and-shoot plays or Isaiah Thomas trying to create something for himself.

Brown managed to average 14.6 points per game as a freshman, and shot 48.2 percent from inside the arc. He thrives on getting to the basket and creating easy shots, or going to the line. He’s athletic enough to get by defenders but also strong enough to body them down low and act as a post player. His determination to get to the paint led to him attempting 6.4 free-throws per game.

The problem is he only shot 65.4 percent from the line and 29.4 percent from three. Brown will need to work on his outside game if he wants to be an elite scorer in the NBA. His shooting mechanics aren’t consistent, and he’s also not as effective going to his left. It’s why he was somewhat inconsistent with California. Also, it was a reason why he only scored four points on 1-of-6 shooting in their first round loss to Hawaii.

Brown is never going to develop into a great three-point shooter, but he has to develop his mid-range game. He still attempted three threes per game as a freshman, and that’s something he can’t do next season as a rookie. The longer three-point line could cause him to struggle even more from deep early in his career, however, he’ll still manage to get his points.

When it comes down to it, Brown has a chance to be an elite scorer in the NBA. There’s no doubt that he’ll have growing pains as a rookie, but, once his outside shot starts to fall, he’ll be nearly impossible to stop.

As far as fitting into what the Celtics are trying to do, Brown is a perfect match. He adds depth to the small forward position, but can also play the two-guard. Not to mention that he can also move to power forward when Boston wants to play small. There isn’t anyone on the roster you can compare his game to, however, his versatility is comparable to Evan Turner‘s.

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The Celtics need a player who can rebound well – 7.8 rebounds per 40 minutes – and be a reliable ball-handler. Brown isn’t going to be a point forward like Evan Turner was last season, however, he adds another scorer next to Isaiah Thomas and doesn’t make careless turnovers.

Having a year or two before Boston has to make a decision on extending Avery Bradley could be an easier decision if Brown develops into a reliable scorer. It gives Brown time to develop without being rushed, yet it could allow the Celtics to not be forced into overpaying for Bradley in a couple of years.

It’s hard to match-up to him on either end of the floor because of his combination of athleticism and strength. There’s no doubt he has niches in his game, but he’s more NBA-ready than Dragan Bender and has as much potential as anyone outside of the top-two.

Next: Trading the Third Pick is the Best Option

If Boston wants to take a little risk to try and land a future star then they should turn to Jaylen Brown. He has the potential to be an All-Star and be one of the leading scorers in the league one day.

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