Boston Celtics: 3 things Jaylen Brown must improve on to win MIP
By Chris Conte
Needed improvement for Jaylen Brown No. 2) Playing at a better pace
When the Boston Celtics first drafted Jaylen Brown, everyone was ready to riot.
Brown was seen as a low-ceiling, high-floor player who would earn his contracts in the NBA with his athleticism, not his skill.
He couldn’t shoot very well, was an awful passer, and could not dribble the basketball for any more than five seconds. Luckily for the Boston Celtics, Brown developed an abundance of skills while remaining extraordinarily athletic and is now arguably the best player from his draft class.
He is an improved ball-handler and has shown flashes of being truly elite in that regard. But he’s also demonstrated extreme immaturity and a lack of patience.
When Brown is given the ball, he gets tunnel vision and when he gets walled off, he freaks out.
He needs to play at a different pace each time he has the ball. Defenses change every possession; Brown needs to start changing how he attacks depending on the defense he sees.
Tightening up his handle, adding more moves to his offensive repertoire, and switching up his pace would all help tremendously.
Instead of playing at 100 percent or just five percent, Brown needs to find a healthy medium depending on the possession.
If he’s running in transition, 100 percent is great, or if he’s one on one, taking it slower is fine.
But when he’s facing a trap or his primary defender does an excellent job of sealing him off, he needs to have more patience.
Brown needs to pull the ball out sometimes or get it to someone else instead of trying to force the issue.