Jaylen Brown's Development

Imbricus

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 26, 2017
4,810
On another note, what the hell is Jaylen doing on this play? Talk about disinterested looking
Jaylen's turning out to be somewhat inconsistent, and it'll be interesting to see how that develops, with another year or two of maturity. Some games, he's pretty dominant, and others he seems more like a footnote. I think the game gets into his head more than it does with Tatum.
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
Jaylen's turning out to be somewhat inconsistent, and it'll be interesting to see how that develops, with another year or two of maturity. Some games, he's pretty dominant, and others he seems more like a footnote. I think the game gets into his head more than it does with Tatum.
Tatum is just at a whole different level as far as skills and feel for the game. I think that says more about Tatum than it does about Jaylen.
 

Bleedred

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 21, 2001
9,963
Boston, MA
Jaylen's turning out to be somewhat inconsistent, and it'll be interesting to see how that develops, with another year or two of maturity. Some games, he's pretty dominant, and others he seems more like a footnote. I think the game gets into his head more than it does with Tatum.
In addition, I don't think Jaylen has a very high basketball IQ, at least I haven't seen it much yet. He's obviously a gifted athlete and intelligent person, but he just doesn't seem to understand the flow of the game at times. He's very young, so perhaps this changes (although Basketball IQ is as much innate is it is learned). Plus I think that if he improves his handle, he will be much more comfortable creating for himself and others.
 

the moops

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 19, 2016
4,700
Saint Paul, MN
In addition, I don't think Jaylen has a very high basketball IQ, at least I haven't seen it much yet. He's obviously a gifted athlete and intelligent person, but he just doesn't seem to understand the flow of the game at times. He's very young, so perhaps this changes (although Basketball IQ is as much innate is it is learned). Plus I think that if he improves his handle, he will be much more comfortable creating for himself and others.
Agree with all of this. He seems destined to be a tenacious defender who can hit the open three and get to the rim with his athleticism. Which is still an incredibly valuable player
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
I think all of this talk about Jaylen’s BB IQ is premature. He’s not Tatum, of course. But compare him to other young and past Celtics and he comes out looking pretty good. He’s starting in Avery Bradley’s old spot, and he’s leaps and bounds ahead of where AB was as a second year player. You’d like to see better touch around the basket from Jaylen, for sure, but it took Bradley years to develop that, and it took an older Terry Rozier into his 3rd year to start making progress there. Recently, Jaylen seems to be adding “drive and hit the open man” to his game.

Statistically, there hasn’t been a huge leap forward in Jaylen’s rate stats (other than shooting better from three), but the modest improvement he’s made in those has come along with a shift in role from bench player to 30+ Minute starter.

I think we need to continue to watch his development. I kind of think right now that he’s going to be a future max player - so his career downside is probably “lesser max guy”, which is pretty damned good.
 

Jimbodandy

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 31, 2006
11,405
around the way
I think all of this talk about Jaylen’s BB IQ is premature. He’s not Tatum, of course. But compare him to other young and past Celtics and he comes out looking pretty good. He’s starting in Avery Bradley’s old spot, and he’s leaps and bounds ahead of where AB was as a second year player. You’d like to see better touch around the basket from Jaylen, for sure, but it took Bradley years to develop that, and it took an older Terry Rozier into his 3rd year to start making progress there. Recently, Jaylen seems to be adding “drive and hit the open man” to his game.

Statistically, there hasn’t been a huge leap forward in Jaylen’s rate stats (other than shooting better from three), but the modest improvement he’s made in those has come along with a shift in role from bench player to 30+ Minute starter.

I think we need to continue to watch his development. I kind of think right now that he’s going to be a future max player - so his career downside is probably “lesser max guy”, which is pretty damned good.
This.

He is incrementally improving. He's more under control on offense, rotating and manning up better on defense, and recently started making nice checkdown passes while driving. For his age and service time, the development is quite good IMO.

High basketball IQ or not, he's clearly both coachable and committed.
 

sezwho

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
1,951
Isle of Plum
This.
He is incrementally improving...snip...High basketball IQ or not, he's clearly both coachable and committed.
I'm all in here. While basketball IQ is hard to define, I think intelligent (my addition), coachable and committed should be a pretty good analog and incremental improvement a decent indicator.


..nm...
 

Strike4

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
3,895
Portland, Maine
Not to hijack the Semi thread, but I'm glad people are thinking about Jaylen Brown too. There are so many moments during the games where he's doing baffling things: going to the basket 1-on-4 when there's a trailer right by him; passing up a wide open look from 15 feet to pass to a guy behind the three point line with a guy in his face; getting caught up on the same pick-and-roll on three straight possessions on defense. He's clearly a net-positive and he's clearly improved over last year, but he's an enigma when you're watching the games.
 

lovegtm

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2013
11,997
In addition, I don't think Jaylen has a very high basketball IQ, at least I haven't seen it much yet. He's obviously a gifted athlete and intelligent person, but he just doesn't seem to understand the flow of the game at times. He's very young, so perhaps this changes (although Basketball IQ is as much innate is it is learned). Plus I think that if he improves his handle, he will be much more comfortable creating for himself and others.
I would have agreed with this last year, but he's improved a LOT on the defensive end this year, and not just on-ball. Defense definitely requires a feel for basketball, in some ways more so than anything on offense outside of playmaking/passing. His improvement on the defensive end makes me a lot more optimistic for his potential to improve his feel offensively.

I also think that there's a good chance that because he has a fairly high "normal" IQ, he can find processes to internalize things over time and study that other guys have to do purely through intuition.
(And yes, this should all probably get split into the Jaylen thread, but I can't do it and just wanted to continue the conversation)
 

slamminsammya

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
9,154
San Francisco
I have said this in some other thread, but I think the inconsistency is largely coming from his inability to create for himself. The defense is pretty consistent, its just that some nights he is open in the corner and drains some threes. And some nights he isn't. And he doesn't get his own looks often enough to have a solid baseline (at least for scoring).
 

sezwho

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
1,951
Isle of Plum
I also think that there's a good chance that because he has a fairly high "normal" IQ, he can find processes to internalize things over time and study that other guys have to do purely through intuition.
Jaylen has demonstrated commitment and work ethic at this early point in his career. Perhaps I've been snowed by the PR but he hasn't given me reason for suspicion and is improving at both ends. I'm also interested in his choice to successfully represent himself, which I couldn't really imagine a scenario I would recommend, and specifically in terms of taking agency. Its something I look for in hiring too: he really seems to own his career.

What I want to know is if Danny's phrenology/profiling/whatever lead him to believe that Brown's combination of intelligence, work ethic, and 'agency' give him any insight into likely continued development. Is there some Meyers-Briggs thing that tells him this kind of person will add a significant skill every off season, or the game will slow down and decision making will improve, or they will get bored and plateau early, or whatever?

If there is an answer, I'm sure its a state secret and we'll never know, but I think the front office has science to go with art on these evaluations.
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
I have said this in some other thread, but I think the inconsistency is largely coming from his inability to create for himself. The defense is pretty consistent, its just that some nights he is open in the corner and drains some threes. And some nights he isn't. And he doesn't get his own looks often enough to have a solid baseline (at least for scoring).
I don’t think is go so far as to say he’s unable to create for himself. He has some success against less athletic defenses such as the Cavs on opening night. No questions he doesn’t do it consistently - the kid has a long way to go.
 

slamminsammya

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
9,154
San Francisco
I don’t think is go so far as to say he’s unable to create for himself. He has some success against less athletic defenses such as the Cavs on opening night. No questions he doesn’t do it consistently - the kid has a long way to go.
Yea, you are right. I am going too far to say he can't. He definitely is capable of getting around less athletic guys as you said. But its just not very reliable. I mean, even the game you mention, if you watch the highlight clips that I have attached here, there is exactly ONE basket where we would say he created, which is when he goes around Derrick Rose basically in a straight line power move. Everything else is transition or receiving a pass from someone else.