National Basketball Association

Jae Crowder the Perfect Role Model for Jaylen Brown

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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One of the best things for Jaylen Brown could be his relationship with Jae Crowder

The Boston Celtics are already getting excited about their third overall pick, Jaylen Brown. He has been impressive throughout the offseason and into training camp, and he just hit his high point with the clutch play to secure a win against the Brooklyn Nets.

Brown has put in the dedication and the work and his physical talent has spoken for itself. Fans are not the only ones getting excited about Brown, and one teammate cannot stop raving about the 19 year old.

The Celtics have developed one of the more unique core of leaders on the team, largely because of how young the players and the coach is. That being said, the Celtics have multiple players that can be looked up to by the younger players and, especially on the court, Crowder has separated himself as one of the leaders.

It is no secret that Crowder and Brown have already started to develop a special relationship, that extends beyond the hardwood. Chris Forsberg of ESPN reported that Crowder had this to say about the youngster: “He’s very mature, beyond his years. He’ll have a conversation with you about anything. I like that, personally. I don’t always want to talk about basketball. I want a guy that I can go be at home with and just chill and talk about anything. He loves music, just like me. He’s into music, he makes beats and stuff like that. I just wanted to get to know him a little bit more”.

Clearly, Crowder and Brown are going to be spending a lot of time together and that could be the best thing for the rookie. Mentally, the Celtics are very confident with where Brown is, despite his age. They will be patient with his shooting, but they understand that he is in an position to have an impact, even at such a young age. The kind of impact he is looking to have is exactly what Crowder has become the best at for the Celtics.

The biggest thing for Brown will be getting comfortable with his teammates, and finding different ways to be productive. Playing alongside Smart will have a similar effect, but Brown is expected to try a play a role very similar to that of Crowder. Number one priority is going to be defense and one of the key aspects of that defense is versatility and intensity.

Crowder has separated himself as the premier defender on the Celtics. His ability to adapt to any matchup that Stevens needs him is what makes him so important. Small ball would not be as good of an option if Crowder could not be trusted to guard the four, and he is in a strong position physically to matchup to an opposing teams best athlete.

Oct 8, 2016; Uncasville, CT, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky (44) is guarded by Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) in a pre-season game vs the Charlotte Hornets at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Brown may actually already have better physical tools than Crowder, but he still has a lot to learn on the defensive end. Crowder is the man he needs to talk to when learning about what adjustments need to be made as an undersized defender. Brown will also be dealing with a tough transition to the NBA, and his physical advantage will diminish significantly compared to college.

Crowder has figured out how to use his physical stature to matchup against the most elite athletes in the NBA, and Brown will need to learn how to optimize his physical abilities in order to hold his own against anyone on the defensive end.

Defensively, Crowder is already who Brown should aspire to be. Crowder is the key to small ball defense with the starters, and Brown is going to be the key to small ball defense with the second unit.

Crowder also plays with the kind of intensity that every key Celtics player needs to play with. The Celtics have a lot of players that can inspire that kind of intensity during every single play, and Crowder is certainly one who can help bring that out in Brown.

He always provides an energy boost on the defensive end, he never backs down from any potential matchup or situation and he is always putting the utmost pressure on the opposing offense, forcing them into the situations where his teammates and himself can get turnovers.

It would be unrealistic to expect Brown to be as trusted of a shooter as Crowder is, and his role could be different on the second unit. Brown could get more time with the ball in his hands, but the priority will need to be keeping the offensive flow going with an aggressive approach to any opportunities to score.

Brown also cannot be expect to be as fundamentally sound as Crowder on the defensive end. He has separated himself as an elite defender in the NBA, and Brown will surely have an adjustment period before he can approach that kind of success.

That being said, Crowder is a great model of how Brown should look to play in his rookie season. Crowder can help ease him into his role on the second unit, and he is in the best position to help him optimize what he is able to do for Stevens’ team, on offense and on defense.