Boston Celtics: 3 Reasons Why We Need Jaylen Brown To Deliver

Attacking the Paint

The one thing that often gets lost in the conversation when people say there is ‘too much talent’ on this team is that the wing players actually complement each other in a lot of ways.

Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum are more natural outside shooters and defenders hug them tight along the arc. Therefore, Brown has space to attack off the dribble, where he’s Boston’s best threat to get paint touches and points in the paint from the perimeter players.

Though Brown has improved as a ball-handler, it’s his quick first step, strength, and dogged determination that helps him get to the rim so often.

Only Aron Baynes (47%) and Daniel Theis (60%) attempt a higher percentage of their shots at the rim on Boston than Jaylen Brown. Brown attempts 44 percent of his shots at the rim, good for the 89th percentile among wings, according to Cleaning The Glass.

Whereas Hayward and Tatum often pull up for 15-foot shots instead of attacking the rim, Brown forces his way into the paint. Because of his physical forays to the hoop, Brown leads the team in free throw rate at 11.2 percent.

Jayson Tatum is trying to break some bad habits and work his way to the hoop more often, but he’s still a work in progress and settles for more pull ups or shoots his lethal three-pointer. Gordon Hayward is still uncomfortable scoring at the rim since surgery, so he is relying much more on his outside shot.

Of course, Irving can get to the hoop with his otherworldly handles, but he also likes to fire away from deep and rarely gets to the free throw line. Boston needs the easy points Brown gets when he attacks early in transition and gets a layup, or beats a guy off the dribble to draw a foul. He’s the most consistent slashing threat.