The Boston Celtics lived through Jaylen Brown’s shot selection, and the Philadelphia 76ers will soon learn how maddening it is to watch the five-time All-Star settle for inefficient mid-range pull-ups. The 29-year-old has taken significantly more mid-range jumpers in recent years, and the results weren’t great.
Only DeMar DeRozan attempted more long mid-range field goals last season, and Brown’s 43.3 percent was the worst among the top ten in attempts. Anthony Edwards and Jamal Murray were the only other players under 45 percent. Brown was also sixth in pull-up attempts with only his new teammate Tyrese Maxey finishing with a worse percentage among the top ten.
Celtics fans know how frustrating it can be to watch Brown. His turnover rate skyrocketed last season along with the increase in long twos. It resulted in JB finishing sixth in MVP voting, but Boston crashed out in the first round of the playoffs. Teams weren’t eager to trade for him, and his game running counter to analytics is a major reason why.
76ers will soon learn the hard way that Jaylen Brown will take over the offense
Brown isn’t happy with the Celtics, but the franchise clearly decided that the partnership between Jayson Tatum and Brown had run its course. Fans may never know all the reasons, but Brown was vocal about being the number one. Clearly, Boston felt that was Tatum's role.
Brown's shot selection has become more mid-range heavy since winning the championship. In 2024, he took 18.9 percent of his shots in the mid-range. That number jumped to 21.8 in 2025 and 31.6 percent last season.
Brown posted arguably the best counting stats of his career, but they didn’t translate to playoff success. He took 34.3 percent of his shots from the mid-range in the postseason as the Celtics lost in seven games to the Sixers.
The 76ers have a new-look team after trading for Brown and signing LeBron James. They have arguably the best starting five in the NBA, which would lead to plenty of frustration if Brown is taking off-the-dribble long twos over higher-percentage looks.
Celtics fans hoped the Brown trade was the beginning, but no blockbuster move is coming. Boston felt they had a better chance with Paul George and more future flexibility. It was a bold move to trade the man who just finished sixth in MVP voting, but fans shouldn’t be shocked.
Joe Mazzulla wants to maximize the team’s 3-point attempts and play an analytically driven style. That doesn’t mesh with a star player taking over 30 percent of their shots from the mid-range. It is even worse when he isn’t nailing those at over 50 percent like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson.
Brown is one of the best players in the world. Nobody is debating that. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t frustrate his team and their fan base by taking deep pull-up twos when a better shot is available.
The Boston Celtics motivated Jaylen Brown, and he is out to prove that his former franchise made a mistake. The Philadelphia 76ers will soon learn his love for mid-range jumpers. It could be a problem with so many mouths to feed.
Celtics fans will be watching closely. This was a bold move that could backfire. At least, they won’t have to deal with the talk of his shot selection anymore. Hopefully, the conversations aren't much worse.
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