Jaylen Brown has been a force for the Boston Celtics all season long. He's been one of the team's most important players, and there's no denying that this squad would not be where they are today had it not been for Brown's heroics.

Celtics star Marcus Smart recently opened up about Brown's growth. The Defensive Player of the Year had nothing but praise for this teammate as he described how Brown has evolved into a true star in the league. As Smart describes it, the Jaylen we see today is a far cry from the young man that joined the NBA several years ago:

“Jaylen's evolution is remarkable,” Smart said (h/t NBA on Twitter). “We here with the team, we've seen it. We knew it was coming, it was just a matter of time… Early on in his career he was just getting down running, like a chicken with his head cut off. We make a joke with him about that. Now he's really thinking the game. He's playing the game. He's letting it come to him, and it's slowing down for him, and I think we all can see that.”

That's a pretty funny way of looking at it, but Smart's description is actually quite accurate. As he said, though, Brown has gone a long way. He's been integral to the Celtics' success this season and they will need him to be at his very best if they hope to upset the mighty Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.