Jaylen Brown #2 on NBA.com Rookie Ladder

[TrueFan]

How's Dragan Bender doing? Is he as bad as he looks or just too raw still?

My guess is we dodged one by not taking him.

[tankcity!]

Well I was one of the few that was high on Brown. Welcome to the bandwagon. Some times I feel like the people on this board think like robots and don't take other emotional, intangible aspects. For example, Phosita wanted Bender and hated Brown because of his advanced college stats. If people had read his interviews pre-draft, you could tell the kid was really smart and knew how to improve his game. Clearly he played on a team with no point guard or spacing. It's hard to improve on your game in college because a kid like Jaylen Brown actually goes to classes and cares about his academics.

Also, I've been saying this for a while but, his first step is insane and I don't know why people continued to ignore that. With the ball in his hands he flies down the court in PG speed. It is not normal for someone his size to be that fast. He is nothing like Jeff Green, who lacked a good first step. Green could also not dribble at all. He had no post moves. He had no spin move. All he could do was run straight. Not to mention Jaylen Brown is competitive, the opposite of lazy.

But lets see what Bender turns into before we crown Brown. I just remember a lot of people wanted that European Scrub just because he is the ideal stat nerd player.

[willyd24]

To be honest, I think that this early season injury to Jae was one of the best things that could have happened to Jaylen. Now he'll be able to play some quality minutes for a couple of games and get more comfortable out there.

Like many on this board, I'm really excited about this kid but I'd also like to see him take it to the hoop more. A lot of times last night he'd get tha ball at the top of the key and then look to pass it off to Isaiah or Avery. A couple times he was left one on one with Mike Dunleavy or Richard Jefferson both of which he could have easily taken off the dribble.

It's also nice to see some of his outside shots fall last night as well. I know one of the big knocks on this kid coming in was his perimeter shooting so it has to help his confidence tremendously to see some of those shots fall.

Really looking forward to seeing how Jaylen continues to develop as the year goes on!

[Donoghus]

Well I was one of the few that was high on Brown. Welcome to the bandwagon. Some times I feel like the people on this board think like robots and don't take other emotional, intangible aspects. For example, Phosita wanted Bender and hated Brown because of his advanced college stats. If people had read his interviews pre-draft, you could tell the kid was really smart and knew how to improve his game. Clearly he played on a team with no point guard or spacing. It's hard to improve on your game in college because a kid like Jaylen Brown actually goes to classes and cares about his academics.

Also, I've been saying this for a while but, his first step is insane and I don't know why people continued to ignore that. With the ball in his hands he flies down the court in PG speed. It is not normal for someone his size to be that fast. He is nothing like Jeff Green, who lacked a good first step. Green could also not dribble at all. He had no post moves. He had no spin move. All he could do was run straight. Not to mention Jaylen Brown is competitive, the opposite of lazy.

But lets see what Bender turns into before we crown Brown. I just remember a lot of people wanted that European Scrub just because he is the ideal stat nerd player.

Let's cool it with the call outs of other posters, okay?

[fairweatherfan]

We haven't had a superior athlete on the wing in a looooong time, to the point I can't even think of who it would be (Pierce was never a great athlete and Ray's athleticism had faded a bit). Maybe Gerald Green, haha, but Brown seems far more composed.

 When Jaylen puts it together he's going to give us a dangerous extra dimension. And he's putting it together faster than I'd expected. That one-handed rebound last night was sick.

You are underrating Pierce's athleticism especially during his younger days.

That's probably fair, I do remember him in the late 90s and early 00s doing some serious blowby dunks. Just thinking more of veteran Pierce who focused on footwork and shiftiness probably. I'd still say Brown is a better pure athlete than Pierce was.

[guava_wrench]

Here is a fun comparison, though I'm aware the sample space is incredibly small:

Jaylen's per 36 min stats in 5 games:
16.7 PTS, 4.0 REB, 1.5 AST, 1.8 STL, 1.1 BLK, 1.1 TUR

Pierce's per 36 min stats in his rookie season:
17.4 PTS, 6.8 REB, 2.5 AST, 1.8 STL, 1.1 BLK, 2.5 TUR

Of course Pierce got 34 minutes per game, almost twice as much of Jaylen. But we have right to hope Jaylen might become something special. I mean, he might have trouble as the season progresses, being a rookie and all; but he will also get used to the game speed and "having too much space to operate", quoting his words.

How old was Pierce?

[Rosco917]

Brown is showing to be a quick learner, he was something like +14 against the Champion Cavs. He shows signs of becoming a special player in a short amount of time. He's lightning quick, very athletic, perfect size for a small forward, long, has no fear, he wasn't intimidated starting on National TV against the best team in basketball, covering the best player in the world. Frankly, I'm seeing growth from SL to now.

I don't understand what some of you expect, and what you're looking at.

[Evantime34]

Brown looked very good last night. His jumper sometime looks mechanical, tonight it looked quicker and more fluid. Behind Isaiah, Brown is already the best on the team at getting to the paint and finishing.

If he can shoot he's going to become the full package. His ceiling is a guy who can create offense, for himself or teammates, knock down 3's, defend multiple positions and get to the line.

Brown doesn't seem to ever be afraid, combine that with him appearing to be a hard worker and his you have an enormous ceiling. I'm trying to not get ahead of myself but Brown is going to make it tough if he continues to play well with Crowder out.

I hope him and Rozier playing well this season will lead to less people denigrating Danny Ainge in the future when he picks a player above where they were mocked.

[Granath]

Here is a fun comparison, though I'm aware the sample space is incredibly small:

Jaylen's per 36 min stats in 5 games:
16.7 PTS, 4.0 REB, 1.5 AST, 1.8 STL, 1.1 BLK, 1.1 TUR

Pierce's per 36 min stats in his rookie season:
17.4 PTS, 6.8 REB, 2.5 AST, 1.8 STL, 1.1 BLK, 2.5 TUR

Of course Pierce got 34 minutes per game, almost twice as much of Jaylen. But we have right to hope Jaylen might become something special. I mean, he might have trouble as the season progresses, being a rookie and all; but he will also get used to the game speed and "having too much space to operate", quoting his words.

How old was Pierce?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=paul+pierce+rookie+age

Technically he was 21 when the season started but turned 22 in October.

[RIPRED]

He's been pretty respectable off the bench so far.  It's a great sign.  He looked awful in Summerleague and was really inefficient in Preseason.   I hope he can continue being this serviceable and efficient in the bench role.  It's been really encouraging so far.

He did not look awful in summer league.  He looked inexperienced, but created a lot of contact, which got him to the line a lot. His scoring average was actually quite good.  Don't forget that many others, including me, watched summer league games. All of them. 

I know you are now going to recite a lot of garbage stats about his FG and FT %, how he couldn't finish, etc.  He got hurt his first or second game, but you will ignore that fact.

I don't need to recite why he was awful in Summer League.  He just was.  He didn't look at all NBA ready.  He was below average against garbage competition.

... which is why it's so encouraging he's been mildly respectable so far in his first 3 games against pros.  I hope that's a sign that Jaylen is a quick learner.

In my very humble opinion: You are delirious. 

Your judgment of basketball talent and skill is lacking. 

Which is why you thought (and probably still think) that we should have traded Jaylen Brown for Okafor or Noel.

What, did Jaylen Brown suddenly transform from a piece of garbage a couple of months ago to this beam of talent, overnight?

1 - I wouldn't have traded that pick for Noel

2 - Conflicting rumors on whether Philly would have traded Okafor for that pick... though signs still point towards Okafor having a better career than Jaylen.

3 - Jaylen was able to get to the hoop and get to the line in Summer league.  That was the extent of his NBA skill on display.  He couldn't shoot.  He couldn't finish.  He couldn't really defend.  He was horrible inefficient.  And his ability to get to the line against players he was better than in College (garbage-level competition) wasn't all that big of a deal.

Preseason, he was the second least efficient player on the team.  Only jerebko was worse.

So far through 3 games, he looks like an effective role player off the bench and that's a great sign.  Perhaps it means he's improved.  I have big hopes for his future.

I think your opinion is based heavily on unrealistic expectations. Jaylen was a 19 y/o kid at SL, and it was very soon after he was drafted. So he had been through a whirlwind of emotions. And then he got injured in his first game.

It's very rare for young rookies to come in and dominate SL. I watched Lebron live and in person with my own two eyes at the Reebok Pro Summer League at UMass Boston during his rookie year - he had good numbers, but he clearly struggled against Marcus Banks. Yes, you read that right, Marcus Banks was giving rookie Lebron fits on the court during his first summer league.

I personally think Jaylen already has the killer instinct that is necessary to become a great player. He also has the body and all the other tools. He is going to be a monster when he puts everything together.

[BlackCeltic]

He's been pretty respectable off the bench so far.  It's a great sign.  He looked awful in Summerleague and was really inefficient in Preseason.   I hope he can continue being this serviceable and efficient in the bench role.  It's been really encouraging so far.

He did not look awful in summer league.  He looked inexperienced, but created a lot of contact, which got him to the line a lot. His scoring average was actually quite good.  Don't forget that many others, including me, watched summer league games. All of them. 

I know you are now going to recite a lot of garbage stats about his FG and FT %, how he couldn't finish, etc.  He got hurt his first or second game, but you will ignore that fact.

I don't need to recite why he was awful in Summer League.  He just was.  He didn't look at all NBA ready.  He was below average against garbage competition.

... which is why it's so encouraging he's been mildly respectable so far in his first 3 games against pros.  I hope that's a sign that Jaylen is a quick learner.

In my very humble opinion: You are delirious. 

Your judgment of basketball talent and skill is lacking. 

Which is why you thought (and probably still think) that we should have traded Jaylen Brown for Okafor or Noel.

What, did Jaylen Brown suddenly transform from a piece of garbage a couple of months ago to this beam of talent, overnight?

1 - I wouldn't have traded that pick for Noel

2 - Conflicting rumors on whether Philly would have traded Okafor for that pick... though signs still point towards Okafor having a better career than Jaylen.

3 - Jaylen was able to get to the hoop and get to the line in Summer league.  That was the extent of his NBA skill on display.  He couldn't shoot.  He couldn't finish.  He couldn't really defend.  He was horrible inefficient.  And his ability to get to the line against players he was better than in College (garbage-level competition) wasn't all that big of a deal.

Preseason, he was the second least efficient player on the team.  Only jerebko was worse.

So far through 3 games, he looks like an effective role player off the bench and that's a great sign.  Perhaps it means he's improved.  I have big hopes for his future.

I think your opinion is based heavily on unrealistic expectations. Jaylen was a 19 y/o kid at SL, and it was very soon after he was drafted. So he had been through a whirlwind of emotions. And then he got injured in his first game.

It's very rare for young rookies to come in and dominate SL. I watched Lebron live and in person with my own two eyes at the Reebok Pro Summer League at UMass Boston during his rookie year - he had good numbers, but he clearly struggled against Marcus Banks. Yes, you read that right, Marcus Banks was giving rookie Lebron fits on the court during his first summer league.

I personally think Jaylen already has the killer instinct that is necessary to become a great player. He also has the body and all the other tools. He is going to be a monster when he puts everything together.

I was also in attendance to watch Lebron vs Marcus Banks at Umass Boston. Lebrons first performance was very underwhelming but he got more comfortable with each game. His outside shot was also p--- poor back then. Some people just refuse to come around to give Jaylen credit because the C's didnt draft their guy Bender or Dunn.

[tankcity!]

One thing Jaylen needs to work on is his defense. His footwork needs to improve.

[kraidstar]

He's been pretty respectable off the bench so far.  It's a great sign.  He looked awful in Summerleague and was really inefficient in Preseason.   I hope he can continue being this serviceable and efficient in the bench role.  It's been really encouraging so far.

He did not look awful in summer league.  He looked inexperienced, but created a lot of contact, which got him to the line a lot. His scoring average was actually quite good.  Don't forget that many others, including me, watched summer league games. All of them. 

I know you are now going to recite a lot of garbage stats about his FG and FT %, how he couldn't finish, etc.  He got hurt his first or second game, but you will ignore that fact.

I don't need to recite why he was awful in Summer League.  He just was.  He didn't look at all NBA ready.  He was below average against garbage competition.

... which is why it's so encouraging he's been mildly respectable so far in his first 3 games against pros.  I hope that's a sign that Jaylen is a quick learner.

In my very humble opinion: You are delirious. 

Your judgment of basketball talent and skill is lacking. 

Which is why you thought (and probably still think) that we should have traded Jaylen Brown for Okafor or Noel.

What, did Jaylen Brown suddenly transform from a piece of garbage a couple of months ago to this beam of talent, overnight?

1 - I wouldn't have traded that pick for Noel

2 - Conflicting rumors on whether Philly would have traded Okafor for that pick... though signs still point towards Okafor having a better career than Jaylen.

3 - Jaylen was able to get to the hoop and get to the line in Summer league.  That was the extent of his NBA skill on display.  He couldn't shoot.  He couldn't finish.  He couldn't really defend.  He was horrible inefficient.  And his ability to get to the line against players he was better than in College (garbage-level competition) wasn't all that big of a deal.

Preseason, he was the second least efficient player on the team.  Only jerebko was worse.

So far through 3 games, he looks like an effective role player off the bench and that's a great sign.  Perhaps it means he's improved.  I have big hopes for his future.

I think your opinion is based heavily on unrealistic expectations. Jaylen was a 19 y/o kid at SL, and it was very soon after he was drafted. So he had been through a whirlwind of emotions. And then he got injured in his first game.

It's very rare for young rookies to come in and dominate SL. I watched Lebron live and in person with my own two eyes at the Reebok Pro Summer League at UMass Boston during his rookie year - he had good numbers, but he clearly struggled against Marcus Banks. Yes, you read that right, Marcus Banks was giving rookie Lebron fits on the court during his first summer league.

I personally think Jaylen already has the killer instinct that is necessary to become a great player. He also has the body and all the other tools. He is going to be a monster when he puts everything together.

I was also in attendance to watch Lebron vs Marcus Banks at Umass Boston. Lebrons first performance was very underwhelming but he got more comfortable with each game. His outside shot was also p--- poor back then. Some people just refuse to come around to give Jaylen credit because the C's didnt draft their guy Bender or Dunn.

A lot of great players struggle with their outside shooting early on in their careers. Michael Jordan is another good example, that fadeaway was still early in development when he was 19. And the 3 didn't come until later after that.

I mentioned this back before the draft in defense of Brown and got flamed.

[Celtics18]

He's been pretty respectable off the bench so far.  It's a great sign.  He looked awful in Summerleague and was really inefficient in Preseason.   I hope he can continue being this serviceable and efficient in the bench role.  It's been really encouraging so far.

He did not look awful in summer league.  He looked inexperienced, but created a lot of contact, which got him to the line a lot. His scoring average was actually quite good.  Don't forget that many others, including me, watched summer league games. All of them. 

I know you are now going to recite a lot of garbage stats about his FG and FT %, how he couldn't finish, etc.  He got hurt his first or second game, but you will ignore that fact.

I don't need to recite why he was awful in Summer League.  He just was.  He didn't look at all NBA ready.  He was below average against garbage competition.

... which is why it's so encouraging he's been mildly respectable so far in his first 3 games against pros.  I hope that's a sign that Jaylen is a quick learner.

Without looking at the summer league stats right now, I'm pretty sure I correctly remember that he was absolutely atrocious in his first three summer league games, and then turned it around and played fairly well in the next three.

The overall numbers were poor, but when looked at in context, it's fairly reasonable to surmise that he was too nervous and anxious in those first few games before settling down.

All that aside, though, his summer league stats are fairly meaningless.  Nice to see that he's looking good so far in the games that count.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Summer league isn't mostly about numbers/efficiency. Those things, good or bad, don't really translate because all of the guys are not playing in the roles they will have on their team.

Summer league is about specific plays or showing the potential to make certain plays. Spot ups, driving closeouts, creating offense, passing, fade aways, pull ups, blocks, steals, etc.