Jaylen Brown Taken Third Overall by Boston in the NBA Draft
With the third overall pick in the NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics drafted California Golden Bears guard/forward Jaylen Brown.
The first two picks in the NBA Draft were made with little to no surprises, as LSU’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram went one and two to the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. The third pick, however, was a bit of a surprise, as the Boston Celtics picked Jaylen Brown out of Cal.
In his one season with the Golden Bears, Brown finished second on the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game, second with 5.4 rebounds, averaged two assists, and just under one block and one steal per game. He shot 43.1 percent from the floor, 29.4 percent from three, and 65.4 percent from the free throw line.
He was a large part of the team’s first undefeated home schedule in over six decades, as the Bears won all 18 games played at Haas Pavilion. Brown was named the Pac-12’s Freshman of the Year, becoming the eighth Cal player to earn the honor. He was also named to the All-Pac-12 First-Team, and the Conference All-Freshman Team (along with teammate Ivan Rabb).
Although Brown declaring for the draft should have been a surprise to no one, it was still a disappointing loss nonetheless, especially after the way the season ended for the Golden Bears, and for Brown personally. After a terrible week leading up to their NCAA Tournament opening-round game, during which they lost senior point guard and leading scorer Tyrone Wallace to a broken bone in his hand, junior guard Jabari Bird to back spasms, and assistant coach Yann Hufnagel to a sexual harassment scandal, they were bounced in the first round by the upstart Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
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But Brown’s struggles on the court were just as noticeable as the absent players. In the final five games of the year (two regular season games, two Pac-12 Tournament games, and the Hawaii game), he averaged just 7.8 points per game and shot just 23.8 percent (10-42) from the field, including 16.7 percent (2-12) from three-point distance. Cal’s lone NCAA Tournament game was Brown’s worst of the season, as he scored a season-low four points, turned the ball over seven times, and fouled out after just 17 minutes on the court.
Still, Brown is an extremely talented player that has the tools and look to be a great player in the NBA. Before the slump, the 6’7″ Georgia native led the team in scoring with 15.8 points per game, pulled down 5.7 rebounds per game, and shot 45.5 percent from the field.
Brown had a great nose for the basket, and can drive almost at will when he puts his mind to it. His outside shot is a work in progress, but he showed great progression with the feel for his jumper as the Bears’ season moved on. He also showed himself to be a strong defender, becoming a key component to the Bears’ defense that allowed a conference-low 67.3 points per game.
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It remains to be seen if Brown will actually play with the Celtics this season, however. The Celtics have two other first round picks, and were reportedly involved in heavy trade talks for the third overall pick before the selection was announced. This could be a pick made for another team that will eventually be used in a trade when July 1st rolls around.