With no Gordon Hayward or Kyrie Irving, the opportunity has opened up for Jaylen Brown to carry the Boston Celtics on his shoulders and he hasn’t disappointed.
In the second year of his young NBA career, it is clear to see that Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown is a student of the game.
During last year’s playoff run, we saw a little something in Brown that only transcended into something even more promising during the regular season and this year’s playoffs. With a determination to grow as a complete basketball player, the 2016 No. 3 overall pick as turned into a grown man right before our very eyes.
He has not only added an outside shot to his offensive arsenal, he is a more confident player on both ends of the court. On a maturity level, he is simply beyond his age and is showing it so far in this year’s postseason run.
With the undermanned Celtics desperate for an offensive leader, Jaylen Brown is averaging 23.8 points through the first four games of the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. That includes a 34-point performance in Game 4 that almost catapulted the Celtics to a win.
Although they lost, the game itself gave Celtics fans and observers a promising glimpse of what Brown is capable of.
With what we have witnessed throughout the regular season and so far this postseason, here are three reasons I believe Jaylen Brown is a superstar in the making.
Growth beyond measure
Following an up and down rookie season, Jaylen Brown not only showed promise in last year’s playoffs, he took that experience and elevated his game over the summer.
Taking part in the NBA Summer League, the 21-year-old swingman took the opportunity to improve his offensive game. Boy, did he ever.
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As one of just four players returning from the Boston Celtics 2016-17 roster, Brown improved his points per game average from 6.6 to 14.5 ppg. With that improvement, Brown improved his FG% as well as his 3P%. Along with those numbers, the 6-foot-7 wing came into the season with the mindset to improve his individual game.
He got that opportunity immediately when Gordon Hayward went down in the first game of the season. But beyond that, he was eager to be a more important part of the team even with two All-star scorers like Kyrie Irving and Hayward leading the team.
"“It’s more of a mindset thing,” Brown said last week, via NBC Sports Boston. “The NBA doesn’t have time to babysit nobody. Especially a 20, 19-year-old kid, coming in on a playoff team. I didn’t want to give anybody any room to say he’s not ready, or ‘Okay, he has to mature. It was my mindset from the get-go. Everything is a growth experience for me. They may not see it now, but they’ll see it soon.”"
We have all seen it throughout the season and in Game 2 and Game 4 in the series against the Bucks. With two career performances, Jaylen Brown is making those Kawhi Leonard rumors evaporate pretty quickly.
Experience drives excellence
Again, the experience Jaylen Brown earned from last season’s playoff run is paying dividends this season.
No matter how far the Boston Celtics go, Brown is showcasing that he has what it takes to be a prime performer when the game is on the line. Without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, the youngster has had to step up his game both on the court and as a leader.
Furthermore, he is showing that he is ready to put a team on his shoulders the way he did in Game 4 when he exploded for 34 points in Boston’s near-comeback.
https://twitter.com/CelticsDirect/status/988143842460340224
"“The atmosphere (last postseason) was such elite-level talent, and with the atmosphere of the crowd, and the intensity, and the media, the pressure of the game and things like that,” Brown said following Game 4. “So last year was kind of eye-opening to me, and this year I was a lot more prepared for it.”"
That level of preparation was also due to his increased minutes during the regular season. Thrown into a larger role due to Hayward’s injury, Jaylen Brown earned the opportunity to be in the game down the stretch during some of the big games of the season.
He came through in those situations. Not only did Brown have big games against the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, he didn’t shy away from taking big shots or even the last shot like the dagger that won a late-season game against the Utah Jazz.
He loves the big stage
Stars rise to the occasion on the big stage. Jaylen Brown has certainly done that over the summer and throughout the 2017-18 NBA season.
It started out in the summer as he led Team World to a 108-97 victory over Team World in the second annual NBA Africa Game. Brown, who led all scorers with 15 points, dazzled fans with his athleticism.
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Although just an exhibition game, Brown showed he is not afraid to go up against some of the world’s best.
He then showed he has no fear against the world’s best player as he scored 26 points in a close loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Opening night. He continued his big performances on the big stage during pivotal games throughout the season and now in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has acknowledged his growth and isn’t surprised by his tendency to shine when the spotlight is brightest.
"“I think Jaylen loves the moment,” Stevens said following Game 4. “I think he really appreciated the opportunity to compete on this stage and at this level and we’ve seen him against the better teams in the league all year be able to really raise his level in some of the biggest games.”"
Next: The 5 faces of the Boston Celtics: The coach, the stars and the future
Hopefully, he will have more chances to shine the rest of these playoffs and beyond.