Jaylen Brown Meets Expectations In NBA Summer League

Although he had a slow start, Jaylen Brown was able to prove his abilities in NBA Summer League for the Boston Celtics.

Jaylen Brown gave Boston Celtics fans of glimpse of what they can expect during the upcoming regular season. Averaging an impressive 15 points and six rebounds throughout NBA Summer League, Brown has proven his athleticism and overall versatility as a small forward. However, it was quite a bumpy road for the third overall draft pick.

While most were focused on Ben Simmons’ summer league debut, it was Jaylen Brown who shined his way to the top, resulting in a 102-94 Celtics win over the Philadelphia 76ers. After Brown blocked Simmons’ shot that resulted in him leaving the game due to leg cramps, Brown proved to everyone why he was the third pick in the draft.

He became an explosive force around  the rim. It became clear that Brown took over the game as he had 17 attempts from the free throw line, making 11 of them. Though he missed most of his shots by being only 2-for-7 from the field, Brown was able to attack and finish at the rim in his own way and carry his team to a win. Brown averaged 16 points and six rebounds to end the game.

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Celtics fans were only able to be satisfied and hopeful for one game after a very mediocre performance from Brown in the next two Summer League games. After suffering bone bruises that made him miss the last two games of the Utah Summer League, Brown only scored nine points on 3-of-13 in shooting.

His poor performance lead to the demise of the Celtics, who lost to the Chicago Bulls, 62-71. Afterwards, he told reporters from NBA TV, “I felt a little slow. I felt like I was stuck in the mud a little bit, but it will pick up.”

It certainly did not pick up in the next game against the Phoenix Suns. Although he did create some good plays with a couple of assists, Brown was present overall offensively. He was 0-for-6 and his only points came from the five free throws that he made.

After those two disastrous games for Brown, many were questioning his athletic abilities and his capability of significantly contributing to the Celtics. But Jaylen Brown redeemed himself in the next game. In what was considered his best performance as a rookie so far, Brown carried his team to a 88-82 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Brown proved himself to be that same attacker around the rim that he was in his Summer League debut. His explosiveness was apparent in the beginning of the game when he posterized seven footer Satnam Signh with a dunk.

Just like in his debut, Brown was able to get to the free throw line many times, having the same 17 attempts. But this time he was a little bit better, making 12 of them.

Additionally, his offense improved. Brown ended the game with 20 points, being 4-for-11 from the floor and grabbing 10 rebounds as well. Brown’s defense was equally impressive as he was able to rack up four steals.

Brown certainly did not disappoint in his last two Summer League games. In the next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Brown further improved his game with 25 points and five rebounds. In his last game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Brown finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

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Although he could not lead his team to the quarterfinals of the tournament, Brown proved his strength in being a great attacker and finisher around the rim. Whether it was drawing fouls or being aggressive on defensive, Brown showed everyone why Danny Ainge picked him for the Celtics.