Boston Celtics 2018-19 player grades: Jaylen Brown solid in Year 3
Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown didn’t have the numbers he did in his sophomore season, but grew up as a complete player during the 2018-19 NBA season.
As disappointing of a season as it was for the Boston Celtics in 2018-19, there was a few bright spots on the team and one of them was third-year wing Jaylen Brown.
It didn’t start off that way. Brown started off the season struggling to find his role on the team with both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward back in the rotation. With Marcus Morris also playing well, Brown’s struggles on the court along with his lack of hustle landed him on the Celtics bench.
An obvious step back to the huge leap he took in his sophomore season, Jaylen Brown used his yanking from the starting lineup as motivation to continue his growth and development in the NBA.
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Brown bounced back to perform strong off the bench. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and by the end of the season morphed into one of the team’s strongest performers. Not only did his three-point shooting improve, but he also improved in his shot selection using his athleticism to drive to the hoop more.
As one of the players making guarantees prior to the season, it was encouraging to see Jaylen Brown take responsibility in the Celtics early season struggles and really do his part to do whatever was necessary for the team to win and that showed itself in the playoffs, particularly the first-round sweep of the Indiana Pacers.
Team first attitude
With Marcus Smart out, Brown was put back in the starting lineup and really gave the team the defensive presence they were lacking without Smart. He pretty much locked up Bojan Bogdanovic and again showed that he is not afraid of the big stage. Always ready and confident in his ability, Brown was willing to do whatever the team needed to win playoff games.
"“In the playoffs it’s different,” Brown said back in April, via the Boston Herald. “Matchups, everything comes into consideration, so at the end of the day if just becomes basketball. We just want to be on the floor. It doesn’t matter – in the playoffs it doesn’t matter if you’re starting, coming off the bench, or sweeping the floor. You just want to be out there, especially with the Celtics, because it’s one of the best environments, probably the greatest in the NBA.”"
In what was more of a progress report than report card, Jaylen Brown got a glimpse of the ups and downs of NBA success. He learned that there are no guarantees and talent alone doesn’t win championships. The entire Boston Celtics team learned that.
To borrow from New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, each player has to do their job to make the entire team successful. That still bolds well in a league where talent does win championships.
Making the grade
As fans, we saw first-hand what happens when that talent doesn’t mesh well, both in attitude off the court and actual performance on the court. With the young players taking most of the blame, Jaylen Brown was one who seemed to get it as the season progressed and for that alone I have to give him a solid B.
Next. Boston Celtics 2018-19 player grades: Steady play from Al Horford. dark
He was solid in his role, developed a nice mid-range shot and displayed the type of attitude and approach to the game that will make him a successful NBA player. The season may also catapult him to stardom in the league whether it’s with the Boston Celtics or some team out there like…the New Orleans Pelicans.