A few moments after a road victory at the end of November against Cleveland – one of Boston’s most impressive performances of the season – Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about Jaylen Brown’s ability to consistently scan the court. The question itself revolved around his star’s 11-assist night (which tied a career-high in the regular season), but it was about a much larger theme: Brown raising his own floor and that of his teammates.
On the road in a hostile environment against a playoff team, Brown could have taken it upon himself to force the issue and lead the team by a wide margin in shots, especially during This season with a very different roster. He ended up with just 13 shot attempts, third on the team behind Payton Pritchard and reserve Anfernee Simons. (Brown also made 16 free throw attempts and finished with a triple-double, adding 19 points and 12 rebounds.)
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“For me, it’s just about having a good balance between understanding when the time is right and when it’s time to play,” Mazzulla said. that evening. “I think it’s been a huge growth on his part, not just this year but in the past. That’s what you want from your best players. He takes just as much pride in seeing someone else close out the game as he does in closing it out himself.”
(Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
The win was the first of five straight, giving the Celtics (15-9) 10 wins in their last 12 and moving them from 10th to third place in the East, just four games behind the Pistons. Boston’s recent surge with Brown at quarterback — the team has the #1 offense in the league over the past two weeks – and the quality of its wins (4-2 combined against the Pistons, Knicks and Cavs) are forcing a recalibration of the Eastern Conference hierarchy in what was supposed to be a gap year.
Simply put, the Celtics aren’t supposed to be here. Not yet, at least. Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles eight months ago sparked an offseason of change: new owners desperate to reduce a looming luxury tax bill, departures of key rotation pieces like Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, and an influx of new faces. Boston was supposed to take a step back, do a soft reset and attempt to build a lasting product around Brown.
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Good luck saying that to a Finals MVP.
Brown shouldered the offensive load, understanding the increased need for quality creators in Tatum, Holiday and Porziņģis. In doing so, he unlocked a new level of game-making skill. According to Cleaning the Glass, Brown’s usage rate has climbed to 36.5%, the highest mark of his decade-long career and the highest among wingers who have played at least 100 minutes this season. He exploited this by assisting on nearly one in four shots taken by his teammates (98th percentile among wings). That’s a 12% increase in assist rate from Brown’s winning season; the creative flowchart reads a little differently, but it’s nonetheless an impressive leap in its 10th season.
Brown’s modified approach to the game fits like a glove into Mazzulla’s system, which doesn’t ask the veteran to take on a role outside of his comfort zone. This season, he is making 21.6 shots per game, only four more than last season, which amounts to one extra attempt per quarter. This speaks to a shift in mentality, relying more on playmaking duties rather than efficiency in favor of gargantuan improvement in appearance, which is not uncommon for No. 2 options who are forced into a No. 1 role.
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“He just doesn’t care,” Mazzulla said. “He cares about winning and how we get there. He has a great understanding of that – he never got caught up in a narrative.”
Boston, which is among the top five in both overall offensive rating and half-court efficiencyis now welded to the image of Brown. The Celtics are a patient offense designed to exploit mistakes and quickly pick teams apart like a hyena attacking a carcass, and Brown is a smooth operator from any spot on the court.
According to Synergy tracking data, this is the first season in Brown’s career where throwing a pick-and-roll is his most frequent half-court action, more so than isolation or transition where he has always been dominant. This is especially impressive given that Brown is not a natural playmaker; it is a talent that he has gradually developed over the years. He may not have the magic of a Nikola Jokić or a Cade Cunningham, but it’s hard to argue with the results.
“He’s accepted the challenge of being the No. 1 option,” one Eastern Conference scout told Yahoo Sports. “A lot of their success is attributed to creating advantages and including his teammates. The coaching staff has probably put him in a great position to help him understand where the double teams are coming from, where the assist is coming from and where the shots are going to come from. You’re seeing an increase in his production in his game.”
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Given Brown’s methodical style of play, it’s no surprise that Mazzulla’s Celtics are dead last in pace, but they’re also second in turnover rate and 3-point rate. Nearly 45 percent of their shots come from the perimeter, an approach that got off to a slow start this season but has picked up since then. Over the past two weeks, Boston has shot 41.4% from 3 (along with being a top-five unit in 2-point frequency and accuracy, which further accounts for Brown’s influence).
As the first name on every opposing team’s scouting report, Brown possesses a gravitas that exceeds that of his teammates. A good portion of Celtics possessions end like the image below: Brown surrounded by bodies and forced to make a quick decision. (Spoiler alert: This pass didn’t go to any of the wide-open options on either side of the court. Hello, Pritchard.)
Jaylen Brown caught the eye and made the right play.
When Brown has the space to drive — and he usually does — the Celtics score a whopping 1.41 points per possession on 2s and 1.2 PPP on 3s, according to Synergy tracking data. Try to clog the lane and force Brown to make a play with a screen? No matter where the pick is made, Boston scores in the 85th percentile or better every time. Keep things honest and let Brown isolate? The Celtics score 1.44 points per chance on 3 outs. Good luck.
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“I’m just making the right play,” Brown told reporters after a recent win over the Lakers. “I’m watching a lot of film, seeing where I can get my guys more involved and get some easy baskets. Use the attention I have to our benefit.”
It’s not just the Brown Show in Boston. Between Pritchard and starting guard Derrick White, the Celtics have a formidable trio that plays off each other to keep teams off balance. By tracking NBA.com dataPritchard is 27th in assist points created, White 28th and Brown 30th.
The Celtics are also doing a good job generating more possessions, fifth in offensive rebounds per game with contributions across the board. More bites at applemore 3s, more Browns, more improbable Celtics victories.
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But can Boston continue this momentum?
Through three games in December, Brown’s usage rate is below 40 percent with a 27.6 assist rate, which ranks in the 100th and 97th percentiles, respectively, according to Cleaning the Glass. It’s a big responsibility for a 29-year-old who plays 37 minutes a night, especially in an era of wear and tear and soft-tissue injuries that have ravaged the league this season. If Brown is able to maintain this level of production, the looming question of a Tatum return this season become stronger?
For now, Brown’s offensive process — his playmaking and his scoring (sixth in the NBA with 29.1 PPG) — is proving vital for a Celtics team not quite ready to exit the East’s elite.
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“When you have a group of guys discovering it for the first time, of course you all expect it to sync up right away,” Brown said. “But we’ve had five or six new players, we’re all figuring it out.
“We’re getting better every day.”
