Getty Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics took care of business in their January 31 game against the Miami Heat.
After the team’s 30 point demolition of Miami, Celtics veteran big man Al Horford spoke glowingly of Jaylen Brown’s recent developments, most notably as a leading voice on the court.
“It’s one thing for him to go out there and just do it with his play, but also to be able to see the game and be able to coach not only himself. Be able to call out things that he sees. As a player, to develop on that end, it not only helps himself, but it helps us as well. And we’re going to continue to encourage it,” Horford told the media.
Brown has recently come in for some criticism from certain parts of the Celtics fanbase and media, as many believed he was incapable of leading the team during Jayson Tatum’s absence in early January. However, the Georgia native has been exceptional at directing play and ensuring his teammates are involved in the on-court action in recent weeks.
“We have to be committed and be more focused than ever game-to-game. Right now in our locker room, Jaylen’s the one that’s really setting the tone. He’s really keeping everybody focused, telling us, ‘we need to be focused. We need to lock-in. We need to prepare for these games, take care of the game to game things’,” Horford said.
Brown Has Shown Playmaking Improvement
Another aspect of Brown’s game that has recently come under the microscope is his ability to create for others. We’ve all heard the rhetoric about developing Brown and Tatum into playmaking wings and why doing so is essential to the team’s future; however, it seems that Brown has found adding that aspect to his game rather challenging.
Furthermore, Brown continues to struggle with his ball-handling; oftentimes, the All-Star wing seems to be operating at break-neck speeds, which regularly leads to turnovers – something a primary playmaker shouldn’t be prone to. Yet, since Tatum’s return to the rotation in mid-January, Brown has flashed rapid improvements with his playmaking skills.
Jaylen Brown is having a really good season minus the turnovers, but he probably won’t make the #NBAllStar game #NBATwitterLive
“He’s come a long way. Obviously, he still has some ways to go, but he’s come a long way from that guy that just looks like he’s running out there with his head cut off. To reading the game, calling out the game the right way. And that’s just only going to continue to make him better and his team better,” Horford said.
Unfortunately, turnovers still plague Brown’s game, with the All-Star wing averaging 2.8 loose balls per contest this season. Until he tightens that up, people will continue to question his viability as a true offensive initiator.
Bown Had All-Star Level Production in January
Despite all the noise, trade rumors, and criticism, the 6-foot-6 wing strung together an impressive run of performances through January. Brown started with a 50-point game against the Orlando Magic on January 2 and then proceeded to average 26.1 points, 3.5 assists, and 7.6 rebounds per game.
According to Basketball-Reference, Brown also shot the ball considerably well throughout last month, hitting 48.1% from the field, 37.3% from deep, and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
Jaylen Brown lost the defender on this assist 😳
Most importantly, Brown displayed the ability to operate as a tertiary playmaker that can keep the rock moving side-to-side when he’s not burdened with the unenviable task of shouldering the Celtics offense.
So, while Brown may have had some bumpy moments in recent weeks, he’s certainly improving, and regardless of whether he makes the All-Star team or not, it’s clear Boston’s future involves the ever-improving athletic wing.