Boston Celtics: 3 reasons why Jaylen Brown is an appreciated NBA star

Is Boston Celtics All-Star wing Jaylen Brown an “under-appreciated” rising star in the NBA?

He may not get the hype Jayson Tatum gets, but he certainly isn’t under-appreciated by Celtics fans nor is he under-appreciated by one of the best players in the world.

Selected by LeBron James to represent his team in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, James tagged Brown with a nickname he will surely roll with the rest of his NBA career.

"“With my fourth pick in the second round, I’m going to go with Jaylen ‘Underappreciated’ Brown of the Boston Celtics,” James said during the TNT broadcast."

Whoa! Wait? Under-appreciated Brown?

Averaging 24.7 points a game this season and being selected to his first All-Star Game, the Celtics rising star ate it all up.  When asked about the nickname given to him by one of the best?  Well, it’s a sign of respect of course.

"“That’s great, to have one of, if not the best, player ever to play select you and point out some of the things that he’s seen is great,” Brown said.  “I appreciate him for that.”"

So, what makes Jaylen Brown an under-appreciated young star in the NBA?  Well, let’s point out three reasons why he’s appreciated as a member of the Celtics.

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No. 1: Jaylen Brown is a two-way asset for the Boston Celtics

When Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge selected Jaylen Brown with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, there were questions about the selection.

The California product was drafted behind Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram that year and ahead of players like Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray and Domantaas Sabonis.

In what has shaped up as a great draft class, Brown has worked his way from a freakish athlete to one of the most versatile scorers in the NBA.  The way he has improved his game offensively has been a major reason Ainge has stuck with his draft selection.

Again, averaging 24.7 points per game, Brown is proving year after year that he is just not a dunk and layup machine.  He can score from anywhere on the court and has really turned into a lethal three-point scorer.

But it doesn’t stop there for Jaylen Brown, who can really dig in defensively as well.  Whether its steals, timely rebounds or just locking down a defender on any given possession, Brown continues to emerge as a two-way asset the Boston Celtics can count on, especially on the big stage.