3 things Jaylen Brown can improve on to make the Boston Celtics a title contender in the 2021-22 NBA season
Jaylen Brown, one of the Boston Celtics' rising stars, injured his left wrist in May. The injury caused him to miss the last seven games of the regular season and most of the playoffs. He has since then undergone successful surgery. According to Brad Stevens, he has been cleared for basketball activities and will be part of the Celtics’ training camp.
Before the injury that sidelined him, Jaylen Brown was averaging a career year in points, assists and FG%. He gained his first All-Star team selection and was poised to do even better in the playoffs. Despite the drastic improvements in his game that earned him an All-Star nod, there are still aspects of his game that could be improved on. Together with Jayson Tatum, a better Brown could make the Boston Celtics a legitimate threat to a stacked Eastern Conference.
Jaylen Brown is fully cleared to practice following his wrist surgery, per Brad Stevens #Celtics https://t.co/MUyyJOr9ac
As a top duo in the league, there is no reason why Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum can’t lead the Boston Celtics to challenge the best teams in the league like the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. An improved Brown and Tatum can mirror the success and potential of the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. More importantly, the budding Celtics’ stars are just about to enter the prime of their physical skills, so further development can go a long way in making the Celtics a title contender.
How Jaylen Brown can make the Boston Celtics a threat to come out of the East
#1 Brown has to refine his handles
The need for JB to improve his dribbling is well-documented. Since entering the NBA as a raw prospect for the Boston Celtics, he has worked on that part of the game that it has become a relative strength. He now has a tighter dribble with a lower stance compared to his past years. The result is a more confident player who is unafraid to mix it up in the lane. He increased his drive attempts from 8.5 the previous season to 10.5 last campaign. A more refined handle and confident Brown could see those numbers go up.
The better Jaylen Brown’s handles are the more chances he can create at the rim. Attacking the rim could also increase his free throw attempts per game. His 4.3 FTA last year was just not good enough for someone of his skill and athleticism. An increase of 4-5 FTAs per game could push him closer to the 30 PPG milestone.
Jaylen Brown running drills dribbling on his surgically repaired left wrist. https://t.co/PxXlUNy7rI
The refined handles are not just for him. The entire Boston Celtics game plan could change because of this improved ability. It would draw more help defenders and open the lane for drives. The Celtics will be harder to defend because of this development.