1) Free throw shooting: Brown’s Achilles Heel
Brown’s game is complete in a variety of different facets. His all-around talent has garnered the attention of stars throughout the association, including LeBron James.
“He’s a really good talent, and that’s why he was drafted so high,” James told reporters. “He’s a strong kid, you can see he knows how to play the game. Looks like Boston is really enjoying all the picks they’re getting from the Nets the past few years.”
The Celtics have certainly come a long way since the days when those picks were made. Brown himself has helped the team come back into relevance in the NBA.
There has been, however, an element of his game that has left Celtic fans ripping hair off their heads: free throw shooting.
During his rookie year, Brown shot 69 percent on free throws, getting to the line two times per game. As with any player, there are things that will not be perfect the moment you step foot in the league.
For some guys, this may involve becoming more aggressive on the offensive end, sticking to their match-ups on defense, or even communicating more when they’re on the court.
For Brown however, free throw shooting has never truly improved.
In a season that saw him grow on a number of different parts of his game (including three point percentage, points per game, and even rebounding), Brown managed to shoot an even worse percentage from the line (64 percent to be exact).
While Celtics fans are no doubt thrilled about the overall growth from Jaylen’s game, one of the pivotal aspects that separates Brown from a player like DeMar DeRozan is their ability to get to the line consistently and knock down their free throws.
Brown has developed a knack for getting to the free throw line, attempting more free throws per game than all his teammates last season besides Kyrie Irving. Because of his ability to get to the line, it’s doubly important for him to shoot a high percentage from the charity stripe.
What you can or cannot do is in your head
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) September 19, 2018
DeRozan is an All-Star caliber player who thrives on drawing contact when he drives to the basket. But his all-around game, does not come close to what Brown brings to the table.
Brown’s ability to affect both sides of the ball is something that already sets him apart from other young forwards in the league. Couple that with increased efficiency from the three-point line, and you get a guy that most NBA general managers would drool over.
Assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry has raved about Brown’s dedication and mentality to get better every day.
"“He just loves being in the gym, which is a trait that you see in real good players,” said Shrewsberry. “He wants to get better, he wants to continue to work, and if you introduce him to something new, he really attacks it and goes after it and tries to add that to his game. “[But] he has a lot more going on within games now. He’s a primary defender, he’s scoring a little bit more, and you’ve just gotta kind of decompress from all of that for a second and really just focus on the task at hand for those two free throws.”"