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Boston Celtics: Jaylen Brown’s Free Throw Woes

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 23: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game against the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden on December 23, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 23: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game against the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden on December 23, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
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Jaylen Brown’s free throw shooting is a growing concern for the Boston Celtics this season

The Boston Celtics are seeing all their young players improve this season, and Jaylen Brown‘s development has been one of the most important things to this team. He has become one of the primary offensive options and one of the most reliable shooters on the team. He has the third best three point shooting percentage at 39.1, and is taking the second most attempts from beyond the arc on the team.

Brown has cemented himself as one of the most important players on both ends this season, but there is one glaring issue that is getting harder and harder to look past. Brown is shooting a porous 56.6 percent from the free throw line, somehow lowering his horrible 62.3 percent for his career.

For whatever reason, Brown can be one of the most trusted shooters on the team, but the moment you take him out of game action and put him at the charity stripe, he just cannot get it done. Everyone is anticipating him being able to fix this problem because of his great work ethic and dedication, but as more time passes the more concerning it is.

The worst part is that Brown could really do a tremendous amount of damage at the free throw line. He is the best overall athlete on the team, and has already shown a phenomenal ability to finish through contact. He shows no fear when he is driving to the rim and can finish through a lot of traffic.

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Brown could absolutely kill teams by driving to the rim, but he is throwing all kinds of points away at the free throw line. The Celtics will be less inclined to use sets that have him driving to the rim, because it is easier to trust him to get a three point shot than complete the three point play with a free throw.

Brown is still incredibly young with all kinds of time to improve. This real shame is that this really is the only weakness in his game. He is just 21 years old and the way he has rounded out and improved in every area from his rookie season is remarkable.

He also has more time to grow into a stronger presence in the paint, making it even more important for him to turn that free throw shooting around. He can become one of the most well rounded two way players in the league, but the better he gets the more glaring this free throw shooting problem becomes.

He is young but this is not just an incredibly small sample size right now, and he is somehow regressing. We know that Brown has the ability to be a much better free throw shooter, because of everything he does at any other point, the problem really is only when you take him out of game action.

Brown really has been a player that needs to shoot in rhythm. He is often inconsistent, but he is always looking his best when he is shooting in the flow of their great ball movement. He is always used in catch and shoot situations, without being asked to hit threes off the dribble. The Celtics do not have Brown creating his own three point shot the way Kyrie Irving will, and it appears that rhythm really makes a huge difference.

Maybe the fact that Brown stands there with no game action going on around him actually throws him off, and he cannot shoot with the same kind of mindset that he shoots with in the actual game.

I still have faith that Brown will turn this around, because putting the hours in the gym can make all the difference for free throw shooting, and Browns has shown every indication of being the player that will put in that work. The problem is that it really feels like Brown should at least be showing improvement from his rookie season.

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Either way, Brown is going to continue to be one of the most important players on the team, and if that free throw shooting comes around quick enough, Brad Stevens could even start expanding what he tries to get out of him.

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