Where Did Jaylen Brown’s Production Go?

Jaylen Brown’s effect on the Celtics over the past five games has been minimal, leading to concerns over whether he can maintain his place in the rotation heading into the playoffs.

February might as well have been deemed “The Month of Jaylen Brown.” The month in which the critics of general manager Danny Ainge’s decision to select the California product with the third pick in the 2016 draft were silenced. Brown etched his name into the Boston Celtics’ rotation by posting double-digit scoring numbers (10.4 points per game) over the course of a month for the first time in his career while boosting his scoring output by a considerable 4.2 points per game.

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Spurred by the lengthy absence of shooting guard Avery Bradley, Brown saw his minutes surge from 16.4 per game in January to an impressive 25.6, showcasing the newfound trust that head coach Brad Stevens fostered for him. However, mid-March has been a tumultuous period for the 20-year-old. While Brown’s shooting percentage has dipped just slightly, decreasing from 49.2 percent in February to a respectable 47.4 percent this month, his production as of late has dwindled.

Disappeared are the contests in which Brown received 30 minutes of playing time, as he did in the Celtics’ heartbreaking loss to the Phoenix Suns on March 5. Over the past five games, Brown has seen his minutes plummet to depths that he has not seen since January, averaging just 15.8 per game. Brown has not received upwards of 20 minutes in approximately two weeks of action as the reins have been tightened significantly by Stevens.

The lack of playing time has had a considerable effect on Brown’s ability to harness his three-point shooting potential. In February, Brown shot 45.5 percent from three-point range while taking 2.4 attempts per game. Over his last five appearances, he has made just one of his last 10 attempts, going 0-for-2 from deep in each of the Celtics last five games.

In order for Brown to remain on the floor, he will need to re-establish himself from outside. With point guard Isaiah Thomas expecting to be mercilessly hounded from finding open looks inside once the postseason arrives, Stevens will be posed with the challenge of surrounding him with options on the perimeter that can knock down outside jumpers in a consistent manner.

While his recent skid could simply be blamed on his lack of opportunity, if Brown is unable to recover his stroke heading into the playoffs, he could be on a short leash in the postseason considering the fact that Stevens rotation will be shrunk. Boston deployed just nine players in Wednesday night’s 109-100 win over the Indiana Pacers, a trend which looks to evolve once the postseason rolls around.

After posting double-digit scoring performances in consecutive games, Brown has reached the six-point milestone just twice in the last five games. In 16 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets on St. Patrick’s Day, he attempted just two shots in 16 minutes, missing both while being held scoreless for the first time since January 7. Two days later in a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Brown played just 12 minutes while faring a porous 1-for-5 from the field.

The dip in Brown’s output correlates with an incident with teammate Marcus Smart that occurred in Boston’s defeat of the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 15. The two Celtics spat on the bench in the fourth quarter of the win following a sequence in which Brown abruptly cut short a play designed for Smart in order to drive to the basket and take a running layup which glanced off of the rim. On the following play, Brown ran the play as it was designed, leading to Smart hitting Al Horford for a jump shot off of a pick-and-pop. This led to the two engaging in a heated exchange during the ensuing timeout, forcing Bradley and small forward Jae Crowder to intervene.

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Whether or not this argument has fed into Brown being more tentative offensively is up for interpretation. However, Brown must up the ante over the course of the next few weeks if he wishes to regain his standing as a consistent recipient of 20 minutes per game.