The 2016 NBA Draft was a weird one. The top two picks were always going to Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, two surefire superstars, but no one knew who the third pick would be. Furthermore, it was considered to be a weak draft class, especially in comparison to the 2017 class, which was expected to have one of the deepest talent pools since the 2003 LeBron, Melo, Bosh, Wade draft. But with first of the lottery picks from his fleecing of the Brooklyn Nets, Celtics GM Danny Ainge selected Jaylen Brown. The Small Forward from UC Berkeley was heralded for his athleticism and defensive presence, but many had questions about his handles and outside shooting.

In his first year, he averaged only 7 points, 3 rebounds, and less than a single assist per game, weak numbers for a third overall pick. However, his NBA-ready body allowed him to have a huge presence on the defensive end, where he often guarded some of the opponent’s best players when defensive stalwarts Avery Bradley or Marcus Smart took a seat. There were glimpses of a strong role player, but very few remained optimistic about him as a starter. Many were already labelling him a bust. It didn’t help that first overall pick Ben Simmons didn’t play a single game and Brandon Ingram’s lack of muscle made him almost unplayable in his first year. The 2016 draft looked to be very weak, even weaker than the abysmal 2013 Draft.

Coming into his sophomore year, Brown was viewed as the fifth cog on a revamped Boston team. New additions Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward stole the headlines, the latter expected to displace Brown from the starting lineup. Number 3 overall pick Jayson Tatum was the most polished offensive player in the draft and would be deserving of big minutes in his rookie year. Al Horford rounded out the hype machine as one of the Celtics’ max players and the third man in their new big three. Brad Stevens surprised everyone on opening night against the Cavaliers, when he trotted out a starting five of Irving-Tatum-Hayward-Horford-Baynes. Although Hayward’s gruesome injury and Kyrie’s Celtic debut (against his former team nonetheless) stole the show, Brown had arguably the best game of his career until then. He dropped 25 points and grabbed 6 boards—all while tasked with the assignment of guarding the game’s best player in LeBron James. That performance set the tone for this year, as Brown has been solid for a successful Boston team.

This year, Brown has been averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, and is the Celtics’ second-leading scorer behind Irving. He has shown a much-improved handle, with incredible finishing ability at and around the basket, where he can use his footwork and soft touch to sink acrobatic layups and floaters over rim protectors. His long-distance shooting–which was considered his biggest weakness going into the draft–is now a strength, as he shoots close to 40% on 4.5 three-pointers per game. Help defenders can no longer sag off of him, creating more space for his teammates to attack the basket.

But as always, it is Brown’s defence that impresses the most. With Avery Bradley gone and Marcus Smart coming off the bench in a sixth man role, Brown has become the primary wing defender on his team. Night in, night out he matches up with the best in the league, be it DeMar DeRozan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or LeBron James. His physicality and long wingspan allow him to bother his opponent’s shots, rotate over for timely contests at the rim, and sometimes even snatch a steal from the ball-handler. His 6’7 muscular frame means he can easily switch across four positions and contain those much smaller than him on the perimeter or bigger than him on the block.

The Celtics stood firm at the trade deadline, watching the Cavaliers overhaul half their roster. They didn’t trade any of the picks in their treasure chest and will look to improve their roster for a playoff run through the buyout market after already adding power forward Greg Monroe. Boston is poised to make a deep playoff run in the East this year, and even deeper runs once Gordon Hayward returns to action. Expect Brown to be a big part of the Celtics’ current and future successes as they look to take over the East in the years to come.

Sources

• The Undefeated
• Basketball Reference
• Banner image courtesy of the Associated Press