Jaylen Brown did not score 20 points in the first 19 games of this season. He’s hit that threshold six times over the last 20 contests, including his team-high 22 points in Wednesday’s 135-108 blowout win over the Indiana Pacers.
In a contest overflowing with bright spots, it’s worth starting with the third-year guard who led the team off the bench with the big scoring burst. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a season for Brown, who gave Celtics fans the most reason to panic about from an individual perspective in the midst of an underwhelming start to the season. While Jayson Tatum frustrated teammates with shot selection early, he was still producing enough on a nightly basis to keep the group satisfied. There was maybe a step sideways in terms of his basketball progress, but no step backward from a development standpoint. Gordon Hayward had plenty of early struggles as well, but there was a very reasonable explanation for them, even if they were a bit more severe at first than many envisioned.
Brown’s early regression was alarming on a number of fronts, though. The third season for any player in the NBA is generally a big year for growth, yet Brown looked like his rookie self at times on the floor for long stretches, a guy Brad Stevens didn’t trust for a good chunk of that 2016-17 season. He was not finishing at the rim, his 3-point shooting (21.3 percent in November) fell off a cliff and his defense took a dive as well. While Stevens and Kyrie Irving championed the team concept and sacrifice, Brown couldn’t seem to help winning regularly (one of lowest net ratings on team in November). An injury led to him losing his starting job to Marcus Smart and his minutes took a big dip as well (29 mpg in October to 23 mpg in December). Brown’s struggles weren’t just an issue for the team in the present day. His value around the league was freefalling as well, making his use as a potential trade chip in a blockbuster less meaningful. The critics wondered whether Danny Ainge had missed a chance to sell high.
Still, Brown has slowly but surely managed to right the ship along with his team over the past few weeks. After scoring 22 points on Wednesday night (7-of-12 FG, 6-of-8 FT), Brown is now averaging 14.6 ppg (fourth on team) in last 10 games while shooting a superb 55 percent from the field. His rebounds (4.3), assists (1.9) and steals (1.3) are all up per game as he has started to become a net positive for this team (+6.0 net rating) while he’s on the floor again.
So what has triggered the change? Brown told BostonSportsJournal.com that the adjustment has come off the floor with a shift in his mental preparation for each game.
“Just as the season began with how it was going, I had to alter my routine and change everything just to make it work for this year,” Brown explained to BSJ. “Some of the stuff that worked for me in the past wasn't working, so I had to find new ways to be successful."
Brown did not associate the change in midseason routine with his move to the bench, instead he talked about it was a personal choice.
“That had nothing to do with it,” Brown said of his shift to the bench. “I just wasn't feeling (the mental routine). With the first unit, there wasn't really too much space. With Gordon, Kyrie, Jayson Tatum, a lot of great scorers. I'm not the most talented guy, but I play hard and bring things to the game that others don't: Energy, passion, fight. I was trying to make sure I was bringing those things each and every night. Instead of trying to fit in, I had to be myself more. Those are the kind of things that I've been changing and am still changing as we continue on with the season.”
While Brown wanted to keep the details of his specific routine private, it’s safe to say the adjustment to his mentality has not gone unnoticed by Brad Stevens and his teammates.
“I think now in terms of maturity and just being out there and knowing what he is doing and understanding why he is doing it,” Kyrie Irving said of Brown. “Stronger cuts, better passing, better offensive decisions. It’s just things that you gotta control as a player on a good team. We’re not on a good team, we’re on a great one. We have the talent to be great. So it’s a tougher adjustment for a young player, especially coming in and having expectations. But Jaylen’s doing a great job of taking all of it and really just adjusting as much as he can and learning from all the veterans ahead of him. We all can learn something from one another.”
“He’s been good,” Brad Stevens added. “He’s had a lot of good games in the last month, and so that’s all – and it’s not going to be the same every night, but I do think that guys know where their spots are and aren’t forcing the issue when they’re not there and taking it when they are.”
A look at his performance against the Pacers shows exactly where his growth is coming from. Indiana defended him to drive and he still managed to use his athleticism to get by bigger wings and get to the rim on countless occasions. His finishing ability is back and is helping him get to the free throw line regularly on a team that desperately could use a few more trips to the charity stripe (team-high eight attempts on Wednesday night).
☘️ @FCHWPO sparks the @celtics 4th straight win with 22 PTS off the bench! #CUsRise pic.twitter.com/3doqfD020U
— NBA (@NBA) January 10, 2019
Jaylen's turn to make the sweet dish! pic.twitter.com/KQwI8ERQkJ
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 10, 2019
