That was the question raised by some prior to the 2016 NBA draft. "Is Jaylen Brown too smart for the League?" To the contrary, Jaylen has used his intelligence and instincts to major advantage during his 4-year stint with the Boston Celtics (per TheUndefeated's Marc J. Spears):
The NBA assistant general manager also said that Brown’s high level of intelligence and inquisitive nature could intimidate some general managers and coaches. He added that he is a good kid who “doesn’t fit the mold of a so-called basketball player.”
“He is an extremely intelligent kid,” the NBA assistant general manager said. “He took a graduate school class at Cal in his freshman year. He is a person who is inquisitive about everything. Because he is so smart, it might be intimidating to some teams. He wants to know why you are doing something instead of just doing it. I don’t think it’s bad, but it’s a form of questioning authority.
“It’s not malicious. He just wants to know what is going on. Old-school coaches don’t want guys that question stuff.”
Intelligence is never a hindrance unless a person over-thinks situations.Brown doesn't do that on the court. Because I am critical of today's NBA being too complex - with coaches plotting intricate plays on both ends of the floor, I love to see today's players go out on the floor - and just play - and make the right decisions that result in victories.
Jaylen has found his path in the League by finding ways to score without having plays drawn up for him. He finds his offense on his own within the flow of the game. And if you check last season's stats, his numbers are not far behind those of Jayson Tatum, the team's number-1 offensive weapon.
In this morning's NBA TV broadcast, Sam Mitchell pegged Brown as a potential "first or second-team All-Defensive" this season, in addition to making it to the All-Star game. No, Jaylen isn't too smart for the NBA. He's just what the League needed.
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