Why Jaylen Brown Has "Ridiculous Upside"

Many NBA fans, particularly Boston Celtics' fans were upset and confused when the team selected Jaylen Brown with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. The reason people were so upset was because their were so many rumors surrounding Boston making a move with the Chicago Bulls or the Philadelphia 76ers. Most mock drafts had Kris Dunn going No. 3 and teams like Chicago and Philadelphia wanted to trade up for Dunn, but the Celtics wouldn't budge.

Jaylen Brown started off the college season as a projected top five pick and due to having a rough end of the year at California, his stock fell. Many experts thought that Brown would fall out of the top five, but the Celtics really wanted Brown with the third pick. Brown is the type of player that has a lot of upside and potential, and he might not be ready for the NBA right away, but he is worth the risk.

Brown is about 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and he weighs about 220 pounds. He's extremely athletic, can guard multiple positions and switch screens, which is going to make him very valuable. Brown has the physical tools that all NBA teams want, but his offensive game is not very polished. Throughout his rookie season, he was hindered by a lackluster jumper (43.1% from the field and 29% from 3. However, Brown continued to showcase an an ability to get to the rack whenever he wanted to. That ultimately led him getting to free-throw line a lot, as he averaged 9.5 free-throw attempts per game, where he shot 65%.  He only played one year in college and California's offense was not very good, it was a lot of one-on-one basketball and isolation, which is why Brown struggled at times.

Boston is controlling top of draft now, talking seriously with Sixers and Bulls, league sources say.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) June 23, 2016

It's understandable why Celtics' fans are upset with the Brown pick, but he was the right pick at No. 3 because he has a great chance to be star in the near future. As an athletic wing that could potentially defend both guards and forwards, Brown stands as that player that all NBA teams are looking for. In regards to his offensive game, he'll be a work in progress  due to his fledgling and limited court vision. However, he'll get an opportunity to work on those flaws with arguably one of the best coaches in the NBA, Brad Stevens. With great tutelage, Brown will hopefully combine his great cutting ability with a solid stroke to be a dangerous offensive weapon.

Overall

It might take a little while for Celtics' fans to realize that Brown was the right pick, but fans should be patient with Brown because of his upside. Seriously, Brown has the best chance of becoming a star outside of the top two prospects, but it is going to take a little time for him to find himself on the offensive end. He has the tools for the defensive end, which is huge, now he just needs to focus on finding a consistent jumper. If he can find that consistent jumper, Jaylen Brown might be on his way towards becoming the next NBA star.