Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s approach to improving starts with ‘until I die’ mindset
Celtics star Jaylen Brown plans on improving his game for the rest of time.
BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is coming off the best basketball season of his life. He became an All-Star for the third time in his impressive career, won his first championship, and was crowned the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. None of these accolades have stopped the 28-year-old from improving his game every day.
At practice on Wednesday morning, Brown told reporters that he never wants to succumb to stagnation.
“I’m just trying to improve in all facets of my game, just all my weaknesses,” he stated. “Keep getting better and better. My playmaking, my defense. I don’t know, maybe there are some other players who don’t really improve, but that’s not me. I’m gonna keep getting better until I die.”
Jaylen Brown on improving his free throws and every other aspect of his game: “I’m gonna keep getting better, until I die”
Brown’s recent numbers prove his point. Despite all his success last season, free throws were a weakness for the Georgia native. He converted on 70.3% of his attempts at the free throw line, his worst rate since the 2018-19 regular season. To start the 2024-25 campaign, Brown is shooting 76.2% from the charity stripe, which is just shy of his career-high of 76.5%.
That personal best is from a larger sample size too, as Brown has been fouled by opposing defenses more than ever. The 2024 NBA champion is averaging a career-high 6.6 free throw attempts through 19 games and believes his physicality is responsible for the increase.
“I’m stronger. I’m more physical. I’m faster. I’ve been using my body. I’ve been screening better … So that’s led to me shooting a lot more free throws,” Brown explained. “We have a lot of 3-point shooters on our team, so I try to be the guy that’s getting into the paint, getting a paint touch before we get those threes.”
How else has Celtics star Jaylen Brown improved his game?
Free throws aside, Brown has tried to improve in every statistical category. The ninth-year Celtic is playing a career-high 36.1 minutes per outing while putting up 25 points, six rebounds, and 4.6 assists on average. All of those aforementioned outputs are up from last season when Brown averaged 33.5 minutes, 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.
Jaylen Brown on his playmaking and how he’s “attacked his weaknesses” and grown as a passer:
The only real area Brown has yet to upgrade is efficiency. The three-time All-Star is shooting a career-low 44.5% from the floor, however, he’s confident his shooting slump will fade. And, more importantly, he thinks his value to the star-studded Celtics is more centered around defense and leadership than scoring.
“With a team like this, that we have … we’re gonna find ways to put the ball in the basket,” Brown emphasized. “My job is to lead my team so we get the best out of ourselves every night. A lot of times, for me, that’s on defense. I feel like I can score the ball, but I don’t think that’s exactly what this team needs.”
Boston currently has six players averaging 12 points or more on the season. The 19-5 Celtics also have the third-most points per game in the league and the second-highest offensive rating. Scoring isn’t a problem for the C’s so it’s integral that stars like Brown do more than just that.
“When your best players are the best defenders it sets a tone for your team and your locker room defensively,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Brown after a late November win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. “He takes pride in individual matchups.”
Whether he’s guarding Timberwolves rising superstar Anthony Edwards or locking up Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, Brown looks forward to defending the best opposing player. His undying dedication to doing Boston’s dirty work and constantly honing his skills shows why he’s the reigning Finals MVP.
