Jaylen Brown: Boston Celtics drafting him was a 'blessing. I like to win'

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2016/09/jaylen_brown_boston_celtics_dr.html



Jaylen Brown: Boston Celtics drafting him was a 'blessing. I like to win'



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Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson (90) stands with Celtics general manager Danny Ainge during NBA basketball media day at the team's training facility Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, in Waltham, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)


Tom Westerholm | twesterh@masslive.com
Tom Westerholm | twesterh@masslive.com By Tom Westerholm | twesterh@masslive.com


on September 26, 2016 at 9:27 PM, updated September 26, 2016 at 9:28 PM



WALTHAM — On the surface, Ben Simmons seems to have it made compared to Boston Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown.

The Philadelphia 76ers rookie was drafted first overall (Brown was third), meaning the Simmons automatically gets more money thanks to rookie-scale contracts. He is also joining a bad Philadelphia team on which he is expected to be the savior, leading the 76ers out of mediocrity and back into relevance. That means Simmons will have all of the shots, touches and minutes he wants right out of the gate.

Brown, meanwhile, will join a Celtics team ready to make a potentially deep playoff push. He will back up Jae Crowder — a borderline All-Star last season — and he joins a long line of rookies and young players waiting patiently for minutes and an opportunity on a loaded Celtics team.

So how does Brown feel about playing for the Celtics?

Blessed.

"To me, personally, it's a blessing to be drafted this high and be with a team that's winning," Brown said. "I like to win. That's what I'm about. i think this year is going to be a great one for me. It won't be difficult at all, because I like to win. That's how I look at it. That's my mindset about it. I'm learning a lot. I'm about that more than any individual statistics."

The rookie learning curve is steep, and Brown will be put through the ringer early. Despite an apparent vacancy left by the departure of Evan Turner to $70-million-greener pastures in Portland, Brown will have competition even for those minutes. Marcus Smart will be looking for more opportunities. Terry Rozier dominated the Las Vegas and Utah Summer Leagues. R.J. Hunter and/or James Young have more NBA experience and are looking for a chance to crack the rotation after two and three years with the team respectively. The list goes on.

But Brown has a few advantages, not the least of which is his considerable athleticism. He also has veterans helping him out and advising him, whom he trusts to help him get to where he needs to go.

"I have full confidence in myself," he said. "I know there's going to be trials and tribulations, and I'm going to test things out and try to figure things out right away, and we'll see where it takes me, but as long as I listen to my veterans and listen to my coaching staff and stay positive, I'm sure I'll end up in the right place."

Jae Crowder shares Brown's optimism.

"He's going to be a good player," Crowder said. "I think personally, he's going to be a good player. He has to find out what he does at this level great and stick to it, and just build off it. It'll be a good challenge for us to mentor him, us older guys, and make sure everything in his life is what it should be off the court, and slow everything else on the court down for him so he can focus on basketball-related activities and focus on getting better as a player."

Those things that Brown does great at the NBA level, according to Brown, are heavily predicated on his athleticism.

"Getting out in transition, right away, I think I'm really good at that," he said. "Running the floor at my size and athleticism, that'll be an advantage right away. And defensively, being a big body, guarding high-level guys, having a good understanding of the game. I know I have to constantly develop, and it's a learning curve, but just playing the best, grown men, I'm looking forward to it. Those are two good things I can do right away. The rest, we'll just go from there."

Brown has been in Boston for a couple of weeks, playing pick-up with the rest of the team, which is where he made his impressions on Crowder. But Rozier, who played with Brown during Summer League, came away impressed with aspects of Brown's game that are already at an NBA level.

"All I know is he can get to the free-throw line as good as anybody," Rozier said. "I told him once the game slows down for him, once he picks his spots, finds his spots, he'll be ready. He'll be ready."

So while Simmons will have opportunities in Philadelphia not afforded to Brown, the reverse is also true — Brown will likely get valuable reps playing a role for a playoff team that Simmons won't even sniff as a rookie playing for the Sixers.

Still, Brown did give one indicator that perhaps he would have been a great fit with the Sixers as well: He trusts the process. Sam Hinkie would have loved him.

"Just the process, being a rookie, there's going to be highs, there's going to be valleys," Brown said. "Just stay with the process and keep your confidence and keep working. Just stay with the process."




bob


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"All I know is he can get to the free-throw line as good as anybody," Rozier said.

Editor's note to Tom Westerholm: Jalen will be put through the wringer, not the ringer. Tom is obviously too young to have ever had a wringer/washer in his home. In those days when none of us had dryers, we instead hung laundry outside on the line, with clothes pins. Ahh, a byegone era.

Draper is all hepped up about Tacko. Should have heard him last night

Crazy wifi connections, on vacation in Maine
So it has been jumping around. Driving nuts. Gyso you must have gone nuts living up here. Will be home for summer league

Jaylen Brown has been a quality addition to the Cs roster since being drafted.

He is not a perfect player, but keeps improving each year. I expect him to have his best season to date in 2019-20, and predict that his offensive stats will all improve and also that he will move more into some leadership situations to help the Cs have a better team this season (more fun to follow and watch).

I am a huge Jaylen Brown fan, this posting just popped up and I have no idea what the heck happened. I have been in his corner since his signing. I believe that he may shine brighter than Tatum at times.

I think he’s gonna be really good, if he puts in the work which I think he will and can stay healthy, we have a future perennial 2 way all star type at one of the key positions in the game.

cowens/oldschool wrote:I think he’s gonna be really good, if he puts in the work which I think he will and can stay healthy, we have a future perennial 2 way all star type at one of the key positions in the game.

Cow,

He needs to attack on offense more, take more shots, especially going to the rim.  We will see what happens with Kemba.  It might be the same as with Kyrie except with Kemba taking the shots.

He also needs to hit his damn fritos!  Attacking more will get hin to the line more.  If he can shoot even 75% from the line with a couple more ftas/game that's worth 3 more pts/game even without the potential plus 1s.  That would bring his average up to around 17 pog.  When you are sniffing around 20 ppg it's hard not to talk about an All-star consideration.

This is Jaylen's 4th year.  This has to be it.


bob


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Hi Bob! Still travelling? Or back from your latest jaunt? Anyway good to see you!!!