Boston Celtics: B/ R suggests this player could reach ceiling elsewhere
By Mark Nilon
Though Jaylen Brown looks well on his way to All-Star status with the Boston Celtics, Bleacher Report believes he may be best suited elsewhere.
When the Boston Celtics selected Jaylen Brown with the third overall pick back in the 2016 NBA Draft, it was seen as somewhat of a reach for the franchise, with some deeming it as simply a “mistake” of a selection.
However, fast forward four years and you’ll see the wing is locked in with the franchise through the 2023-24 season (that seems odd to write) after signing a $115M contract extension — which was also highly questioned by fans at the time — that, to at this current point in time, he seems to be living up to every penny of.
Filling in as the final cog of the only tandem to be averaging 20+ points this season (alongside Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum), Brown is finding himself boasting career numbers seemingly all across the board. Through 55 games played, the 23-year-old is putting up 20.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 49 percent shooting from the floor, and 39 percent shooting from deep.
With his tremendous progressions after a lowly 2018-19 campaign that brought his play into question, it appears that, moving forward, the future seems bright for both the Boston Celtics and Brown, as one can certainly assume an All-Star nod is just on the horizon for the young buck… after all, he was already an arguable snub from this year’s exhibition.
Jaylen Brown seems to be on the right path towards stardom at this juncture, and Beantown seems to be a prime place for this to happen. However, according to some, it is under the belief that the fourth-year talent’s full potential won’t be reached unless he makes his way onto another team.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently penned a piece entitled NBA Stars 1 Trade Away from Becoming Superstars where he discusses five specific players who would be more highly credited for their services should they don a different team’s jersey. Of course, as you probably guessed by now, Jaylen Brown was found amongst these five listed talents.
Buckley went on to state:
"With all eyes now on Jayson Tatum’s surge and Kemba Walker’s health, Brown “might be flying under the radar yet again,” as NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg put it.The Celtics, as currently constructed, mask Brown’s star-level impact.It’s tricky to stand out on offense when Tatum, Walker and Gordon Hayward are all around and averaging more than 17 points, too. Similarly, there isn’t a ton of defensive spotlight available when Marcus Smart is defending at an all-league level and Tatum is making a massive leap on that end.Brown’s recognition starts and stops with All-Star snub lists, which seems impossible given his immense two-way talent. But if Boston doesn’t thin its ranks to move him up the pecking order or send him to a place where he’ll be the unquestioned leader, the public will never recognize his leap from good to great."
To be fair, Buckley does have a point.
Brown’s success and massive improvements this year have been kept in the shadows of the play by his All-Star teammates Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker. Based on talent alone, the wing has the potential to be the best player on many other teams across the league.
However, playing on the stacked Boston Celtics, it’s hard for the typical viewer to see this.
In short, the odds of Brown being shipped out of town any time soon are slim to none. With him slotted in as the C’s third option, the team boasts arguably the best core in the entire NBA and, in turn, are seen as legitimate contenders to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of this season.
So, yes, while Brown’s public recognition might be illuminated on another squad, he, and the shamrocks, are finding ample success together, and look to have continued success in the years to come.
Notoriety is all well and good, but the ultimate goal for any player should be to win a title. With the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown has the best chance of achieving this highest of goals.