Jaylen Brown Ready for Bigger Role for the Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown should continue to have an impact as the Boston Celtics go on their playoff push down the stretch
The Boston Celtics have taken things relative slow with the third overall pick, Jaylen Brown. He came in and out of the rotation for most of the year, but has been given real opportunities because of injuries. After the way he has played over the recent winning streak, he should expect these minutes to continue, even when at full health.
The most important thing for Brad Stevens when it comes to minutes for young players is defenisve trust. Having Brown on Kyle Lowry for stretches against the Toronto Raptors is a great sign of how much Stevens trusts him.
His athleticism gives him remarkable versatility, and his combination of size and speed will be an advantage over most guards in the league. With his ability to play the three or the four in small ball lineups, he has taken on a defensive role similar to that of Marcus Smart. Being undersized is never used as an excuse, but they have the athletic tools to hold their own against the bigger forwards in the league.
Brown has started every game since Stevens decided that the second unit could not function without Smart, and they are undefeated since that move. On top of earning some trust on the defensive end, Brown is also starting to play with the two most important things, intensity and aggressiveness.
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Even in the biggest moments of these recent games, Brown has never been hesitant on the offensive end. His intelligence on the court has been phenomenal, allowing him to judge when he needs to attack and when he needs to keep the ball moving. His aggressiveness in transition has helped because of his ability to finish through contact at the rim.
Brown still has issues finishing, but his ability to hang in the air is going to make him a remarkable finisher at the rim, and his shot will continue to improve each time he plays in his rookie season. Stevens has shown a willingness to accommodate bad shooting from young players in the past. It happened with both Smart and Terry Rozier in their rookie seasons, and Brown looks like he has the most offensive potential out of the three of them.
Brown also impressed his teammates with the intensity he played with in their win against the Raptors, a game where he struggled a lot on the offensive end. Jae Crowder had this to say about the rookie: “You’ve got to have a little nastiness and he showed it tonight. I’m proud of him” (Via Mass Live).
Everyone has seen the remarkable work ethic and focus of Brown, and he is gaining a lot of confidence in his game. The Celtics have lacked some of the intensity that made them so good in previous seasons, and that is something that Brown can also start bringing now.
Brown will certainly return to the second unit when Avery Bradley is back from injury, but that will give him more opportunities with Smart. The second unit has struggled with consistency this season, with Smart being the only player they can trust. After the growth Brown has shown over this winning streak, Brown has an opportunity to be one of the most important players on that unit.
With absolutely no defensive front court depth, the versatility of Smart and Brown are crucial for that second unit. And it expands how the Celtics can play small ball. They love to play three guards, but their defensive has struggled in those situations. Using Brown from time to time can certainly bring an added dimension in small ball lineups.
Brown has proven that he will continue to put in the work that is necessary to grow, and while his minutes will take a hit when Bradley comes back, his days of falling out of the rotation should be behind him. He can take more on responsibility with the second unit, and hopefully make things easier for Smart and Kelly Olynyk on the offensive end.
Jonas Jerebko has also played well as of late, bringing a lot of hope to the second unit. The second unit has struggled to be consistent all year long, largely because everyone was incredibly streaky and could not maintain their strong play long enough to keep getting minutes. Stevens was forced to shuffle through players, but things are starting to settle now.
Next: Are Avery Bradley's Injuries a Problem?
Each year Stevens has been with the team, the All Star game has marked a bit of a turning point with the team. His teams have always shown improvement in the second half of the season, and the way these second unit players have stepped up with these recent injuries, the second unit could be one of the biggest areas of improvement in the second half of this season.