Boston Celtics: 3 things Jaylen Brown must improve on to win MIP
By Chris Conte
The Boston Celtics had few bright spots last season as they struggled to string together wins and stay healthy.
One of those bright spots was Jaylen Brown, who improved drastically as a scorer and made strides as a passer. With Hayward gone and Kemba Walker out for a large chunk of the season, Brown’s offensive responsibilities grew, and he was up to the challenge. He did a great job playing off of Jayson Tatum and did his best to lead Brad Stevens’ insufficient bench personnel.
As a scorer, Brown was fantastic.
He averaged 26.4 points per game on 60.9 TS% the first month of the season and ended the year at 24.7 points per game on 58.6 TS%. By zone, Brown hit 70% of his shots from 0-3 feet, 44.2% from 3-10 feet, 48.4% from 10-16 feet, 49% from 16-3P, and shot 39.7% from deep.
He hit these numbers with a 5% higher usage rate than last season with no primary playmaker, few floor spacers, and no elite pick-and-roll big — until Williams was inserted into the starting five. That is fantastic considering what Jaylen Brown shot the season prior.
Improving his floater and long midrange shooting was essential for Brown. He still struggles as a consistent ball-handler and has trouble countering defenses at times.
With these two improvements, Brown could get his shot up faster and more decisively, leading to fewer empty possessions when he had the ball in his hands. At 24 years old, it is safe to say Brown is not done yet.
Let’s take a look at a few things we can expect from him this upcoming season.
Needed improvement for Jaylen Brown No. 1) Off-ball defense
Brown has spoken many times about his off-ball woes during this past season; it is time he puts some action behind his words.
For years Brown has been an elite on-ball defender but has struggled to keep track of his man and the play when the ball is not directly in front of him. He lacks patience and fails to anticipate where the offense is going, which leads to him getting lost on the court. His defensive woes are what’s standing between him a superstar leap.
The dilemma that comes with Brown’s poor off-ball defense is his impact is situational.
The difference between elite on-ball defenders and elite off-ball defenders is that the latter can impact without their man needing the ball.
They can cover more space on the court and can play a more significant role than getting a stop on defense than an on-ball defender can. For example, if Marcus Smart does everything right on-ball, shutting off his man and denying any chance at a shot, but Jaylen Brown leaves his man wide open under the rim, the Boston Celtics will not get the stop.
The on-ball defender can do everything right, and the possession still ends up in a score if the off-ball defenders don’t do their jobs. This is why Brown is not even close to the C’s best defender.
Brown immediately becomes one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA if he puts his acute mind to the task of simply paying attention off-ball.
His physical tools combined with a little more awareness would make him one of the league’s most active defensive shooting guards. He could become an elite passing lane defender and help side protector if he pays attention.
That is all he has to do, and I expect him to do it, seeing as he slumped hard defensively midway through the season. Brown is a prideful and honest man; he knows what he has to do, and he’ll do it.