Subscribe
Follow Us
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown broke out during the 2018 postseason, putting himself on the map as an up-and-coming star and helping lead the Celtics to a Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While Brown was considered the inferior prospect to Jayson Tatum, the world was still in his hands, and he seemed primed for an even bigger 2018-19 campaign (as did the entire Celtics team).
Instead, Brown got off to a nightmarish start, and while he rebounded at the beginning of December and actually quietly went on to have a really solid year, his horrific first month-and-a-half ate into his statistics, and overall, Brown really didn't take the kind of step that many expected.
We can point to many factors as the reason for why Brown didn't elevate his game. Too many mouths to feed, a different role with Gordon Hayward back in the lineup, a sour relationship with Kyrie Irving, etc.
But the fact of the matter is that Brown is entering a fresh season, and at just 22 years old, there is still plenty of time for Brown to take his game up a notch and become the star that many are anticipating.
In order for Brown to do that, though, there are some rough edges in his game that need smoothing over, and it all starts with his proficiency (or lack thereof) at the free-throw line.
Brown shot just 65.8 percent from the charity stripe this past season, and thus far in his brief three-year NBA career, he has made just 65.8 percent of his foul shots overall, which is inexcusable for a shooting guard.
What's difficult to comprehend is that Brown has a decent outside shot, as he has made 36.5 percent of his triples thus far, and if you take away his really bad October and November, he was a pretty good long-range shooter for most of 2018-19 (he ended up at 34.4 percent for the year).
Article Continues Below
How can a guy who has a solid stroke from beyond the arc not make free throws at a consistent rate? That type of thing has always been one of the more mind-boggling aspects of basketball, and Brown is the poster child for it right now.
Not only that, but Brown needs to get to the foul line more often. He attempted just 2.7 free throws per game this past season (3.8 per 36 minutes), which, for a guy with his type of athleticism, is not nearly enough.
Let's also remember that Brown got to the charity stripe 6.4 times per game during his lone collegiate season at California, which had some believing he could be a Corey Maggette type on the NBA level.
So, getting to the free-throw line is certainly in Brown; it's just a matter of him actually doing it.
But that's not the only area in which Brown needs improvement, as his shot selection is fairly questionable, and his decision-making on offense leaves a whole lot to be desired at times, which is why he was a regular target of ire from his teammates (especially Marcus Smart) for messing up plays throughout the year.
What I will say about Brown is that he does seem to elevate his game in bigger moments, as evidenced by the fact that he was one of the only Celtics who actually played well this postseason, and we saw what he did during the 2018 playoffs.
Talent is not the issue here, nor is it heart or effort. It's just some refinement that will take some work in the gym (seriously: work on those free throws, Jaylen) and some more experience in general.
Brown is also a terrific defender capable of guarding multiple positions, so he will always be a factor on that end of the floor, but that's not the issue. The problem for Brown is his inconsistent offense.
With a larger role on the horizon for Brown going into the 2019-20 season, this could be the year he really puts it all together.
