In 2007-08, Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge engineered the largest single-season turnaround in the history of the NBA – going from betting on basketball underdogs to league champions with a new Big Three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. Ainge has been at it again recently, signing coach Brad Stephens (deemed one of the brightest young coaching minds) to replace Doc Rivers in 2013, and drafting Marcus Smart with the 6th overall pick in 2014, and trading Marcus Thornton to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Isaiah Thomas in 2015. Thomas made his first All-Star appearance this past season, and averaged a career-high 22.2 points.
Additionally, Smart and Avery Bradley are among the league’s top defensive backcourt players, while Jae Crowder and Evan Turner are perfectly adequate NBA players. Notwithstanding all of that, the Celtics have sorely missed a star-caliber player in order to become once again contenders – which is more than likely what they had in mind when they acquired the Brooklyn Nets first round number three draft pick, which they used to select small forward Jaylen Brown.
The question now is, can Boston build a championship team around the former California Golden Bear? A team that people who enjoy betting on basketball can put their money on at SBG Global sportsbook?
The 19 year old certainly accrued the college cred. In his one season with the University of California, Berkeley, Brown was a first-team All-Pac 12 pick – the only first-year player to earn that recognition – as well as making the All-Freshman team and winning the conference’s Freshman of the Year award.
According to NBA.com, Brown “might have traded all those awards for a win in the NCAA tournament,” but in that case he might have as well stayed at least another year and give it another shot – which begs the question, is he ready for the pro league?
He does possess NBA-level athleticism, moreover, he has great size and is a good rebounder for his position, and the potential to be a versatile defender. Draft analysts loved Brown’s wingspan. On the other hand, Brown is not a consistent three-point shooter, is prone to turnovers, and needs to work on his decision-making skills.
Head coach of the California Golden Bears men’s basketball team Cuonzo Martin said of Brown that he plays basketball up and down the court and will give you 10 assists and 10 rebounds as well as 25 points, while bill Walton called him a “remarkable player,” “mature,” and “intelligent,” who is “just getting started”. Will Boston Celtics Brad Stevens be able to say the same about a year from now? Time will tell and fans who like betting on basketball will be eager to find out, too.