Boston Terry and Jaylen the Kid, youthful backbones of the Boston Celtics

When it comes to the youth of the Boston Celtics, two players stick out more than the rest. Both Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier are ready to take the next step as impact players for the Celtics.

The playoffs may not have gone as well as the Boston Celtics had hoped, but their future is getting brighter every day. Not only has the Celtics front office puppet-master Danny Ainge, once again, set the team up for the future, but he simultaneously set them up for the present.

This new dynamic has been in the works and this year was an early start. The Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals on the back of a 5’9″ point guard, which not many people can say they saw coming. Boston’s biggest problem isn’t depth, veteran leadership or youth; it’s a big man. The Celtics needs a solid paint presence to propel them to a championship level.

While this might be an easy fix, it would not be possible if Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier did not prove themselves as viable options. Brown and Rozier still have areas for improvement, but both have the ability to be contributing factors on a future championship team.

Jaylen Brown

Stats are fine as a reference point. But without context, they can be useless. Jaylen Brown’s role will not be defined by stats, but his impact on the game and ability to produce when called upon.

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The Celtics did not need much from Brown in a reserved role, but what they got from him was a sneak preview of what is yet to come. His athleticism and ability to finish around the rim makes him a threat, but his efficiency from the field is clearly his biggest weakness.

Against the Cavaliers, Brown was a liability when the team needed immediate scoring, possibly leaving a sour taste in the mouths of fans who thought of him as an X-factor. Brown only scored in garbage time in the Eastern Conference Finals, and did not score in the only game the Celtics won against Cleveland.

Even with all of this, he still had a promising postseason. He got minutes and his mistakes were minimal. Aside from shooting which should improve, he is at most two years away from being a dependable sixth man/bench player. His defensive contributions and athletic ability make it hard to keep him off the court, but this offseason should mean plenty of jump shots for the now second-year player.

When Brown finds his rhythm, he is a very effective player. Unfortunately, that can be said for just about every player in the league. Until he finds some consistency in his scoring, he will be limited to a reserve, secondary role, rather than being a main “spark” off the bench. He will bring energy to the floor, but the Celtics cannot count on him to carry the second unit just yet.

Terry Rozier

This brings us to a player that can lead the second unit, but just recently found his rhythm this season. Barring a blockbuster trade, Terry Rozier will be returning for his third season as a Celtic. His second season as a contributing player.

It wasn’t until midway through the season that Rozier started letting the ball fly with more consistency. He is a deep threat that fearlessly drives. However, both aspects of his game require slight tweaking before he is facilitating the offense, ultimately opening up the rest of his game. While Rozier’s vision is slowly increasing, it is still a point of emphasis that needs work.

Most young players suffer from one common problem — hesitation that comes from a lack of confidence. When players think about their next move rather than just going for it, chaos tends to ensue.

In this case, Rozier has worked through the hesitation aspect of his game. As in, instead of thinking about shooting, he just let’s it fly. It is no different when it comes to his dribble-drives, although his intensity keeps him from finding the open man at time. Luckily, this is something that will come with playing more.

Near the end of the season, he was able to making simple passes without hesitation, easily setting up his teammates. Rozier can deliver, and has in the past. It is just a matter of taking shots and finding his in-game rhythm as a reserve.

Next: 5 potential Paul George trades

With both Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier as the promising future of the Celtics, Danny Ainge has his work cut out for him. He has numerous trade chips in front of him, but what he gets in return is all that matters. Ainge has been surgical with his moves in the past, and keeping both Rozier and Brown in the rotation will be important to the overall success of the organization one day.