Can Jaylen Brown play power forward as a Boston Celtics rookie?

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Can Jaylen Brown play power forward as a Boston Celtics rookie?



Jaylen Brown
Boston Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com


on September 28, 2016 at 6:00 PM, updated September 28, 2016 at 6:07 PM




WALTHAM -- The day after the NBA Draft, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge fielded a question about what separated Jaylen Brown from other candidates for the third overall pick. Looking around at the young players the Celtics had selected the previous night, Ainge pointed out the importance of entering the NBA with a strong physique.

"If you look down this row right here, (Brown) is playing in a man's league," Ainge said. "This guy is a man. Look at every one of these guys; (they) are grown men that can play physically in the NBA."

Brown has all the physical traits a team wants in a versatile wing: the wingspan of a big man, the mobility of a guard and enough strength to one day defend plenty of taller dudes. But with the 19-year-old just a rookie, the question bears asking: can Brown play the 4 spot in small lineups right away?

"Sure. Yeah," head coach Brad Stevens said Wednesday before Boston's second practice of the day. "I think so."

"Actually, I want him to get down the 3 first," Jae Crowder said with a smile. "Just get the technique of the 3 position before we start talking about him moving to another position. He's a rookie and a lot has been thrown at him in just a day so I don't want him to overthink anything. I know coach doesn't want him to overthink, just react as much as possible. As time comes, I think he will be able to be a guy like myself who can switch and guard multiple people."

On another team, Brown might be afforded the opportunity to make mistakes while trying to grow his game. He might get plenty of shots, all the minutes he could want, and the freedom of knowing it's OK to fail. But he happened to join the Celtics, who won 48 games last year and hope to improve on that record this season. They're focused on setting themselves up to win a playoff series, not catering things to their high lottery pick.

Brown's easiest path to the court might be at small forward, where Boston does not have much size behind Crowder. Gerald Green was signed for depth (and buckets) and Marcus Smart can guard bigger wings when he needs to, but there might be more opportunity on the wing than in the frontcourt. The Celtics options can throw Kelly Olynyk, Jonas Jerbeko or Amir Johnson at power forward, and Crowder will spend some time there too.

Boston is deep. That's obvious. Maybe Brown will still establish himself in the rotation immediately. Maybe he will stumble a bit as he adjusts to the NBA game. It's clear Stevens wants to simplify the transition to the extent he can.

"I think the biggest thing in playing the wing or playing the 4 is how much do you want to throw on him right now in the first day of training camp, right?" the coach said. "At some point, you've got an idea of everything that's going on around you but right now the biggest thing for all of our news guys -- Jaylen, Al (Horford), Gerald (Green) -- keep it as simple as possible so that you can be able to play basketball and do the things we need to do from a base standpoint. Then we'll move forward after that. Obviously, Al and Gerald are much more advanced just because of their age and experience. But Jaylen will catch up. He's really been enjoyable to be around. He really wants to be good. He's thoughtful. He wants to work at it, all that stuff."

Brown will have an athleticism advantage against a lot of small forwards, but his first step could become devastating if he learns how to slide up a position. At the other end of the court, the value of switching, interchangeable wings is clear. Brown and Crowder could emerge as a potent duo one day.

Until then, Brown has a great mentor. Crowder said "positioning and technique" were the most important lessons he learned while figuring out how to defend big men.

"It's much different than guarding a perimeter guy," Crowder said. "You just got to get comfortable with technique and knowing tendencies of players. Not just at the 3 position or at the guard position, you have to know the tendencies of the 4s and the stretch 4s in this league. I just try to bring all that together and I'm a student of the game, so I watch a lot of film. I watch how other guys guard at their positions like Draymond Green and how he can be the same size as me and be effective on the defensive end of the court. Just tendencies and being in position at that position is what I've had to learn at a high rate."



bob


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I voted other , as in why would he have to?

we have a glut of big men on the roster and then we can swing Crowder over to PF for those "small ball" moments.

I say let the teenager bang with the smaller adults for now anyway.

kdp59 wrote:I voted other , as in why would he have to?

we have a glut of big men on the roster and then we can swing Crowder over to PF  for those "small ball" moments.

I say let the teenager bang with the smaller adults for now anyway.

I voted the same and for the same reasons... I mean the kid is 19, and has a lot to learn at just the 3. Plus seldom is the KISS method wrong: Keep It Simple Stupid. We have a lot of guys who can play multiple positions- at least 4 who can play the 2 and at least 6 who can play the 4. I see no reason to burden the youngling with an even greater learning curve.

Other.

I would rather let him major at the 3 position and perhaps minor at the 2. I am fed up with our Celtics often being undersized at multiple positions and would like for us to be bigger, faster and stronger somewhere on the floor for a change.

gyso

I voted no.

Jalen is 6' 7" and while he is very athletic he lacks both the size and strength to play that position. I could perhaps see him playing some 2 along with his preferred position which is at the 3

dboss

If you're looking at this in the role of the traditional power forward, no. With the makeup of our present roster, he's a wing.

Should the Celtics evolve to a newer, essentially position-free system, you can call him whatever you want. When Stevens says "yeah sure," my bet is that's what he's thinking.

Hi,
I voted "Other". We don't know if he can play in NBA let alone any specific position.
If I gamble I'd say yes, but for now let's wait and see.

AK

Here is the strategy that I believe Brad is using. He will put players in different positions on and off, to see if it works. When it doesn't work, he knows that at the least that the player that played that position in an NBA game, understands what they need,

Pete

He strikes me as a classic 3. Crowder could maybe play some 4 in a small lineup. Although they will play some center, KO, Horford and Amir are all primarily strong forwards , although strong is perhaps a misnomer where Kelly is concerned .Maybe Mickey will earn some playing time. Brown at SF ? Nah.

College: One year
  3 point shooting record
       30 for 102 - .294% - WORRY - Why do I let myself WORRY? - Wondering what in the world will he do. ( A little Patsy Cline )

  swish

He's a better PF than Jordan Mickey, in my opinion.

I voted no.

1.  His head will already be exploding learning his primary position.  He is already going to be living,  breathing and dreaming film on 3s.  Why make that worse by complicating things?  He is only one year out of High School.

2.  Brown isn't strong enough, yet, to play NBA 4.  He's only 19.  His body needs a few more years of filling out.  A fully developed 240# man , like Mickey, is stronger than a not yet fully grown manling like Jalen Brown.

3.  We don't need him to play 4.  We're good there.

4.  The NBA is moving towards velociraptors and away from brontasauruses.   Unless Brad really wants small ball it is better to put hyper-athletic, long wingspanned 6'7" Brown on a 2 than a 4.  Look at it this way:  which match up appeals to you more?  Brown on 6'7" DeMar DeRozan and 6'5" Buddy Hield, or Brown on Paul Millsap or Miles Turner?


bob


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arambone wrote:He's a better PF than Jordan Mickey, in my opinion.

You may very well be right. That doesn`t make him a viable option at the position , though. If he gets all Jordan Mickey`s minutes at power forward he`ll play the position for a couple minutes every 10 or 12 games.

The question should be, "Can Jordan Mickey play power forward as a Celtic?"

Regarding Jalen, I concur with Bob's velociraptors opinion.

I voted yes, not because I think he should or can, but because I think he will play that position in certain lineups, with certain matchups, in certain situations. This kid will become a 3 position defender in the NBA. He will not be put in a position to fail. He is going to blossom before our eyes. By Dec 1 our biggest complaint will be he tries too hard, he still needs to slow it down. By the all star break he could be the steal of the draft. That doesn't mean there won't be those other kind of rookie moments. We are going to have an excellent defensive team this year and Jaylen will be a real part of that.