Jaylen Brown has been quite impressive in the Boston Celtics’ second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Following the Celtics’ 109-104 win in Game 4, Brown was asked about him being so efficient in the series and he claimed the Cavaliers just don’t have anyone who can guard him.
“Me being aggressive, I don’t think anybody over there can really guard me,” Brown said. “I just get into the paint, take my time and I feel like that’s what I’ve been doing, not just in the playoffs but all season long. So, I just get to my spots and just do what I do.”
Jaylen Brown on his big scoring nights in Cleveland:
“I don’t think anybody over there can really guard me.”
(via @NoaDalzellNBA)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 14, 2024
Brown’s numbers in this series do back up those claims. The 27-year-old has averaged 26.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game against the Cavaliers. He has shot a ridiculous 61.2% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc.
It shouldn’t be all that surprising to find out that Brown hasn’t been this efficient from the field in any other playoff series in his career. The three-time All-Star has played a big role in the Celtics being up 3-1 and they look set for yet another appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brown has really been fairly efficient all season long. He shot a career-best 49.9% from the field in the regular season and has now hit 56.0% of his shots in these playoffs. The Celtics would be hoping he can keep this up.
Even if Brown’s efficiency does drop off a bit, I think it’s almost certain, at this point, that the Celtics will get to the NBA Finals. They are going to send the Cavaliers home very soon and while the New York Knicks could have troubled them a bit in the Conference Finals, they have one too many injuries at the moment.
The Indiana Pacers might well knock them out of the playoffs and I would expect the Celtics to handle them with ease if they met in the Conference Finals. The question really is whether Brown and Boston can beat any of those heavyweights in the West. We’ll find out the answer to that question soon enough I think.
Jaylen Brown’s Struggles With His Left Hand
While Brown has been great in this series, that Achilles Heel of his did pop up once in Game 2. Brown miserably failed while attempting a left-handed crossover and got blasted by NBA fans for it.
The Celtics guard still isn’t quite fully comfortable when it comes to using that left hand. Earlier this season, Brown missed five shots in a row with his left, during warmups before a game against the New York Knicks.
If you go back to around this time last year, those struggles with the off-hand for Brown were a big talking point. He had struggled massively against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, averaging just 19.0 points while shooting 41.8% from the field.
After the Celtics lost that series in seven games, Caleb Martin revealed that the Heat’s game plan was to keep forcing Brown left. While that wasn’t the only reason he played so poorly, it certainly played a part.
I do believe Brown has made some improvements in that regard and we saw just how well he played against the Heat this year in the first round. Sterner tests lie ahead, though, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in them.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
