Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens believes that the more experienced players on his roster will challenge NBA rookie Jaylen Brown in order to assist in his development.
Stevens appeared on Bill Simmon’s The Ringer NBA Show podcast recently, answering almost everything the devoted Celtics fan threw his way in typically political fashion.
During the interview, the former Butler Bulldogs coach described the way in which certain players on his team can help shape Brown as a player. Most lottery picks don’t have the opportunity that the 2016 third overall pick now has due to Boston’s continuously rewarding stash draft picks acquired from the Nets. The 19-year-old has the opportunity to play and train alongside fierce back-court competitors such as Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and Jonas Jerebko.
Stevens feels fortunate to be in the unique scenario of helping a young player develop alongside a strong unit of veteran NBA players. He feels as though his teammates can set a standard for him and teach him how to work.
“I think Jaylen's in a good situation to learn and grow because he's coming into a team that has some perimeter players who are very established that will make him very uncomfortable in practice every single day,” Stevens told Simmons. “And they'll do it on both ends of the floor. For him to have to be matched up against Jae (Crowder) or Avery (Bradley), or if we play him at the 4 some against a Jae (Crowder) or a Jonas (Jerebko), whatever the case may be, those are hard matchups. And that should a great — that should be the best part of the learning curve for Jaylen.”
Celtics fans will be pleased that Brown will be tested when training camp begins and hope that Brown uses his elite athletic ability as a springboard to becomingJay a top player in the NBA.
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