Jaylen Brown enjoys mentor role to Jayson Tatum, young Celtics

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2017/07/jaylen_brown_enjoys_mentor_role_to_jayson_tatum_young_celtics



Jaylen Brown enjoys mentor role to Jayson Tatum, young Celtics



Mark Murphy Thursday, July 13, 2017




Credit: AP photo
BROWN: Second-year Celtic taking on a leadership role.




LAS VEGAS — Jaylen Brown has slipped into his summer league leadership role not only as a matter of choice, but with ease.

As evidenced by the party he threw Monday night for his fellow summer leaguers — anyone, from any team, interested in a night of legal under-21 fun — Brown envisions himself in a role at the head of the pack.

Eventually, as he and rookie teammate Jayson Tatum mature under the protective wing of their more experienced teammates, that role will emerge with the Celtics.

But for now Brown seems to have taken his summer Celtics teammates in like a big brother, and especially Tatum.

As Brown admitted this week, he’s taken on a mentor’s role with Tatum, and in the process is giving the rookie benefit of something Brown didn’t necessarily have in his first summer league.

Unlike now, the previous year’s rookie, Terry Rozier, played a different position.

“I figured out a lot on my own last year,” said Brown, whose status for tonight’s playoff opener against Golden State (6 p.m., NBA TV) is unknown after he suffered a bruised right thigh against the Sixers on Tuesday.

“This year I’m trying to help Jayson as much as I can, tell him what I see, that will help him. It was tough. The guys around last year were different. They had different positions than I had and different circumstances. They lead differently — I’m a little more vocal. Those guys were a little more quiet. They lead by example. Terry was more by example, but he’s a leader nonetheless.

“Then we had R.J. (Hunter) and James (Young). They’re really quiet, not vocal as well.”

Brown took his experience and parlayed it into a welcome mat for Tatum. He dubbed them 7/11, their numerical anniversary was Tuesday, and immediately started working out with the rookie.

“Jaylen’s been great, because he was in my predicament last year,” said Tatum, who admittedly had to adjust as much to the off-court pace of the summer schedule as to the basketball itself.

“Everything is a lot faster — pre-draft workouts, flying to cities, then you get drafted and you’re right into practice. Utah, now here,” Tatum said of the grind since his last collegiate game for Duke. “The competition is a lot higher, and then playing back-to-back, we didn’t do that much in college, maybe twice. You have to eat right, get enough sleep and enough rest.”

And then comes the basketball, with Tatum impressing the entire NBA with his play through Utah and Las Vegas, hitting impossible-looking, one-legged fadeaways.

“He’s going to be good. He’s a great basketball player,” said Brown. “Tremendous talent, he’s going to be all right.”

Said Walter McCarty, the Celtics assistant running the team here: “(Tatum is) learning a lot, playing back-to-back-to-back. We’re trying to find ways to rest him. He’s had to play extra minutes. But he’s found ways to get his breaks and get his rest. He’s done a lot of good things. I’m excited for him.”

Brown can also direct Tatum in another sense — the burden on a high lottery pick to earn playing time on a team that reached the conference finals. Brown blossomed just in time for the playoffs last season.

“That’s the thing you prepare for,” Brown said of playing time on the varsity. “Summer league is different from regular season and everyone understands that. There’s going to be a lot of chances to make mistakes. But you almost have to be perfect. So it’s about minimizing mistakes and just learning to complement those other guys — Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford. Stay ready, stay focused.



bob
MY NOTE: I believe the word that Murphy is looking for, to describe Jaylen Brown's efforts, is "leadership". I don't know what his upside really is yet, he's still just entering his 2nd year, but he'll always be able to find a job in the NBA with natural leadership skills like these.


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Just many more great quotes by Jaylen Brown to further identify his knowledge and leadership.

This kid is a special young man and perhaps will also become a special young player.

I'm curious as to who else showed up to the under 21 shindig. The invitation went out to anyone, from any team.

gyso

Forget about basketball  for a minute and just look  at how both these #3 picks seem to conduct  themselves. If nothing else danny did a hell of a job drafting quality.

 One place I used to work used to place primary  importance on two things, a willingness to work hard and being humble.  Management insisted if they could bring on board someone with those two qualities anything they wanted to use that person for they could teach them their selves.   Experience/skill was a lot less important to them. 

 Danny seems to be looking alot like his preference  is for those same two qualities  as that company, with 7-11 it looks like the skills required are developing  as well.