Jaylen Brown is in his Element

Jaylen Brown’s stock is rising at the perfect time as the Celtics head into the final stretch of the regular season

Coming out of California, Jaylen Brown was a highly coveted player. As the Celtics third pick in the 2016 draft, they selected the young slasher who received comparisons to players such as Caron Butler, Jimmy Butler and Andre Igoudala.

After making a notable impression during the NBA Summer League, Brown had a rocky start to the year. During the first two months of the season, he only averaged around four an a half points per game, saw only around 13 minutes of playing time, and had a low shooting percentage of only 30% from beyond the three point line during the month of December.

Prior to the All-Star break, Brown was invited to the Slam Dunk Contest. While this might have seemed like an amazing opportunity for a rookie, Brown declined and instead used the All-Star break to work on his game. This constant drive to improve is what helped him reach the NBA and hopefully,  to someday become a household name. To understand Brown’s work ethic and drive for success, one must look beyond basketball.

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Brown isn’t your prototypical basketball player. While he only spent one year at the University of California Berkeley, he took graduate level courses in the Psychology Department. In addition to his desire for advanced learning, he is also an avid chess player who plans to later graduate from UCB. He refused to hire an agent, as he would rather learn how NBA contracts work himself.

Brown’s personality is not that of a player who seeks attention. While his flashy dunks and jaw dropping athleticism might suggest otherwise, his decision to work on his game rather than attend the Dunk Contest shows that he is committed to his craft.

Brown’s hard work and dedication has paid off as reflected in his recent numbers. Since the All-Star break he has averaged over 11 points and close to five rebounds per game. Not known as a shooter, he has shot an extremely efficient 47% from three point range during this period.

As he proves himself to be a capable and reliable player Brown will continue to see an increase in minutes. Even with Avery Bradley making his way back into the rotation, Brown continues to receive sizable chunks of meaningful time at the expense of other capable role players such as Terry Rozier and Jonas Jerebko.

During the trade deadline many believed the Celtics would search for another centerpiece as they looked to make a deep playoff push. Butler and Paul George were the two names that were constantly coming up in rumors. While many criticized the organization for not making a trade, some consider staying put a smart longterm strategy. Why mess with an already winning formula? For Brown it appears, at least for the time being, that the Celtics want to see what will become of the young slasher as he continues to improve.

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With Brown becoming an integral part of Boston’s ten-man rotation, the Celtics should look to hold on to this athletic rookie. His stock is rising at the perfect time as the Celtics head into the final stretch of the regular season. For Brown, the sky is the limit.