Celtics’ Jaylen Brown saved team by bombing away from 3

On By Littum

The Boston Celtics make basketball a numbers game, averaging a league-high 51.4 three-pointers per game. match. They make 36.0 percent of those attempts, which ranks 13th in the NBA; almost league average. Conversely, the Celtics take a league-low 40.4 two-point attempts per game. However, they rank third in the NBA in two-point percentage (.574).

Celtics’ Jaylen Brown saved team by bombing away from 3

In all this, Jaylen Brown takes 7.1 three-pointers per battle, which ranks 35th in the NBA but is tied for a career high. He is converting a career-low 26.0 percent of those attempts. With the Celtics at 9-2, many will disregard those numbers in favor of those in their win-loss record. Still, it’s clear as day that Boston’s approach this season isn’t all sleazy, especially as it pertains to Brown.

That becomes even more apparent when you watch the film, as the 28-year-old has consistently saved defenses by taking tough threes.

Although Brown had stroked them as a Splash Triplet, this is problematic. Instead of reading a defense and taking what they give him, he forces shots because they align with Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s philosophy. Even worse, Brown is making just 20.0 percent of his threes with a tight end defense this season.

With the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP demonstrating his excellence as an offensive wing in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, one can only wonder how long he will continue to save defenses by settling for outside jumpers. That doesn’t mean Brown is out of his depth beyond the arc, but it’s not his bread-and-butter. Although he had a strong showing from three-point range from 2017-18 to 2020-21, it really never was.

So while Mazzulla plays a numbers game giving his team a great opportunity to rack up a lot of points, he doesn’t let Brown be the best version of himself. He doesn’t let Brown really play to his strengths as an exceptional athlete with an advanced handle and strong finishing ability.

In other words, he doesn’t put Brown — who has been their best player for many a night — in the best position to succeed.

What about Middies?

Brown has a habit of taking challenged midrange jumpers, which historically is a low percentage. This season, he is making just 40.5 percent of his jumpers inside the arc. But after he made 45.1 percent of those attempts last season, the Celtics should be relatively comfortable with those attempts.

The only problem is that Brown has the footwork and burst necessary to spin out of a post-up or get a step on his man and take it to the rack. He can’t do that every time for countless reasons. Nevertheless, he doesn’t do it nearly enough.