When Steve Kerr was Gregg Popovich’s assistant at the 2019 World Cup, it wasn’t the first time he rubbed shoulders Jaylen Brown. In fact, the Celtics fullback/winger and the Warriors coach have known each other for several years. Six years exactly. At the time, Jaylen Brown was indeed a freshman at the University of California, and in his team, there was a certain Nick Kerr, the son of Steve.
For some Warriors matches, Jaylen Brown therefore invited himself in the Kerr car to go to the Oracle Arena. ” I actually had Jaylen in the car a few times when he came to watch the game with my son. I remember at the time yelling at him not to talk about it because I thought it could be considered a violation as it was expected at the top of the Draft. We laughed about it” told Steve Kerr in 2021.
Thanks to Kerr, Brown would even have a front row seat to follow the 2016 Finals to the point of attending the warm-up at the edge of the field, and at the time, he declared: “ I want to be in the same situation as these guys. I will be“. Wish granted, it will be from Thursday evening.
“He needed structure, and Boston gave it to him”
At the time, Jaylen Brown was 19 years old, and his 29% from 3-point range and 65% from free throws worried an outsider. And his end of the season, at less than 8 points on average, with a last match at 4 points and 7 stray balls in the defeat in the first round of the “March Madness” weighs down his rating quite a bit with the scouts. But Boston distinguishes a big potential, and chooses it squarely in 3rd position of the Draft!
“He was a raw player in college. He did not have the current qualities. remembers Steve Kerr. “He needed structure, and Boston gave it to him. But the most important thing is that he is an incredible hard worker. He’s someone you see doing what it takes to become the player he wants to be. »
In general, the Golden State coach is full of praise for Jaylen Brown and his alter ego Jayson Tatum. “They’re that rare breed of do-it-all player that we’re all looking for. They have the size and the speed to defend in any position. They have the qualities to score from anywhere on the pitch. They can score from 3-point, on transition, put big dunks, and they have their support to score on half-court. For me, the two are the archetype of the player that we are all looking for. »
And to top it all off, they’re two great guys.
“What makes them even better are their human qualities, their work ethic and the bond they create in a group. They are fun guys to coach and fun guys as teammates. When you have this mixture of really good guys and his qualities that fell from the sky, it makes for a great combination. »
A “combination” that will have to be countered from Thursday evening.
| Jaylen Brown | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2016-17 | BOS | 78 | 17 | 45.4 | 34.1 | 68.5 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 6.6 |
| 2017-18 | BOS | 70 | 31 | 46.5 | 39.5 | 64.4 | 0.9 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 14.5 |
| 2018-19 | BOS | 74 | 26 | 46.5 | 34.4 | 65.8 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 13.0 |
| 2019-20 | BOS | 57 | 34 | 48.1 | 38.2 | 72.4 | 1.1 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 20.3 |
| 2020-21 | BOS | 58 | 35 | 48.4 | 39.7 | 76.4 | 1.2 | 4.8 | 6.0 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 24.7 |
| 2021-22 | BOS | 66 | 34 | 47.3 | 35.8 | 75.8 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 23.6 |
| Total | 403 | 29 | 47.3 | 37.3 | 71.2 | 0.9 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 16.5 | |
