One of the (many) drawbacks of college basketball is just how claustrophobic the court is. In the NBA, the game is faster and more conducive to transition play, the offensive sets are more fluid, and the court is more wide open due to the increasing emphasis on floor spacing and outside shooting. That can be a difficult adjustment for many players coming out of the collegiate ranks, as Jaylen Brown, the third overall pick for the Boston Celtics, found out in his NBA Summer League debut on Monday in Utah.
Jaylen Brown appreciating this whole NBA thing: "There was so much space on the floor, I didn’t know what to do."
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) July 5, 2016
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. All that room to operate offers an advantage for shooters and more athletically gifted players to attack off the dribble and get easy buckets and/or create for their teammates. Before hyperextending his knee in Summer League, Brown certainly made the most of those opportunities, scoring 16 points and getting to the free-throw line 17 times. The knee injury was not thought to be serious, but as a precaution, Brown was set to sit out Tuesday’s action (but is expected to be back in time for Boston’s final game on Thursday.)
Once that wraps up, the Celtics will go on to play in the Las Vegas Summer League, beginning on Saturday, where Brown will continue to find his comfort level navigating all that new real estate on the NBA landscape.
