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Boston Celtics Insider: The Jaylen Brown Train Is About to Leave the Station
- Updated: October 20, 2016
Jaylen Brown’s initial “can someone please pinch me?” NBA moment came last Saturday night in an otherwise no-stakes exhibition between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.
During his game-high 25 minutes, Brown found himself guarding Carmelo Anthony, a nine-time All-Star (and fellow third overall draft pick) who led the league in scoring when Boston’s tantalizing youngster was only 15 years old.
“To be honest, I was like ‘Oh shit.’ That’s what was going through my head,” Brown told Bleacher Report on Tuesday. “It was like a movie. But I think that’s definitely the best scorer I’ve ever gone against, and I don’t even think he was trying. I really don’t.”
Anthony used Brown’s eagerness against him by unleashing a series of unreasonable pump fakes and rainbow jumpers. But the teenager’s mistakes weren’t only understandable, they worked to his long-term benefit.
As he does with most of his time on and off the court, Brown treated his first matchup against a future Hall of Famer as a learning experience.
“I think it did [accelerate my learning curve],” Brown said. “Learn how to guard somebody like that. Keep him off balance. It’s something I needed, just to be like, I wasn’t starstruck, but I was in awe a little bit…but I mean that’s all I needed. The next time we play them tomorrow it’ll be a different vibe.”
Anthony sat out Wednesday night’s rematch, but Brown’s physical appeal—identifiable even to those who don’t watch basketball but understand how human bodies are meant to move—was still on full display. He finished with a team-high 17 points—despite missing five of his game-high 10 free-throw attempts—and defended multiple positions, including the 7’3” Kristaps Porzingis.
“He can jump out the gym,” Terry Rozier said. “He’s very athletic, so he’s gonna see a lot of minutes this year, I feel, and once the game really slows down for him, it’s gonna be scary for a lot of people.”
Beyond Brown’s hysterics-inducing athleticism is a complementary thirst for knowledge that elevates his ceiling higher than most other 5-star prospects. He’s constantly soaking in tape, particularly of players who excel in areas he wants to improve.
“I watch D-Wade, just cutting. Just how he moves without the basketball,” Brown said. “I watch Draymond Green, about him using his leverage guarding fours and taking guys who’re not as mobile off the dribble. I mean, I can go on and on about people I watch.”
Combine all these positive qualities and it’s obvious why the Celtics are thrilled to toss such a unique ball of energy into a roster that already has its sights on the Conference Finals (at the very least). They’ve helped him fit into a strenuous situation—the top-three pick who has to fight for minutes on a team that’s already 2-3 players deep at every position.
“He works hard and he asks questions,” Avery Bradley said. “I appreciate him for that, being a young guy that has an open mind and wants to work hard, because that has to be your mindset coming in to a team like this, with good players like we have. He’s going to be a perfect piece for us.”
A ceaseless inclination to improve, mixed with a seven-foot wingspan that allows him to pounce multiple positions on both sides of the ball, makes Brown an ideal weapon in a league that prioritizes flexibility. He’s spent the preseason torturing close-out defenders, barreling downhill and making positive things happen once he arrives at the rim.
“I always get excited when he gets in the game because I just want to see what he can do, or what he’s going to do,” Al Horford said. “It seems like he’s always getting a highlight play, and I think that’s just a preview of what we’re going to see during the season.”
But Brown’s Q rating wasn’t always so high.
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