The Celtic fan’s guide to falling in love with Jaylen Brown
The Cal freshman has the physical tools to be a star, but can he develop into a shooter?
The Basics:Position:
Small forward
Height: 6-7
Weight: 223 lbs
Age: 19
College: California
Year: Freshman
The game: From a physical standpoint, Brown is best wing prospect in the entire draft. He’s got the frame, strength, and athleticism to hold his own on an NBA court, plus his size (6-foot-7) gives him the versatility to guard up to three different positions. Those tools combined with a slashing mentality that produced one of the top free throw rates in the NCAA make the swingman a surefire lottery pick. While the upside potential is intriguing at age 19, an inconsistent outside shot and turnover woes leave some scouts wondering whether he’ll ever develop into a complete player.
The statistics (2015-16 season): 14.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.0 apg 43.1 FG%, 29.4 3PT%
NBA-ready skill: Athleticism. As more NBA teams turn to small ball on a regular basis, strength and length on the wing are developing into extremely valuable attributes. Brown has shown both already at Cal, demonstrating the foot speed to hang with smaller players on defensive switches and the muscle to hold his own in the trenches on the glass.
Needs to improve: Consistency on perimeter jumper. Despite displaying a reliable outside jumper in high school and prep school days, Brown shot a meager 29.4 percent from beyond the arc at Cal. He’s already turnover prone when he drives the ball against a set defense, so in order to adequately space the floor as a wing, Brown needs to tweak his mechanics and show the ability to be a league-average 3-point shooter.
The hype: Brown’s stock is currently on the rise. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported last week that the Celtics are high on the 19-year-old, and Sam Vecenie at CBS Sports also puts Brown at No. 3 in his latest mock draft. Several other mock drafts have Brown going no later than No. 4 to Phoenix, while Jonathan Givony at DraftExpress has him down at No. 7 overall.
The highlights:
The Celtics’ historical comp: The Celtics have had their fair share of athletic wings in franchise history, but the majority of them have not panned out. If Brown is a bust, he’ll surely be compared to another underwhelming athletic swingman (Kedrick Brown) the Celtics drafted in the lottery. The good news? Jaylen has a much stronger track record against top-level college competition than Boston’s 2001 draft bust.
Bust potential: While Brown’s age (19) bodes well for his development, he’s far from a finished product. His athleticism should always make him a weapon on the defensive end, but unless progress is shown with his shooting and finishing, he could easily turn into a one-dimensional piece. On a team like Boston’s that is already devoid of reliable shooting, taking Brown could compound that problem.
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