WALTHAM, Mass. -- Jaylen Brown’s versatility was among the many factors Boston weighed when they considered taking him with the No. 3 overall pick in last June’s NBA draft.
And the 6-foot-7 forward’s versatility will be on display at the power forward more than ever as the Celtics begin the second half of their preseason slate at Brooklyn on Thursday.
Brown has played both small and power forward thus far, but said on Wednesday that he’ll be seeing more action at power forward in part because of Gerald Green’s return to the lineup following a hip flexor injury.
“He’ll get more opportunities to play at the four (power forward),” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.
Brown, who has averaged 8.0 points off the Celtics bench during the preseason, is primary concern at this point is doing enough to where the coaching staff is confident enough to put him in the game regardless of what position he’s asked to play.
“I still have a lot of stuff to work on,” Brown said. “But being able to get on the floor, play against NBA guys … just come back to work and get better.”
The Celtics have not played since Saturday, providing players like Brown lots of time to hone their skills.
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“It’s hard to pinpoint what you learned the most,” Brown said. “So much stuff being throw at you. You have to be locked in on every task. I learned a lot in general, but it’s hard to pinpoint what I learned the most.”
Stevens is looking for growth in Brown as well as the rest of his players. But he’s quick to mention that players improving doesn’t necessarily manifest itself in increased playing time.
“I understand that development from an outside perspective is judged by minutes in games because that’s what everybody sees,” Stevens said. “Development (to) us is based on how much you’re growing day to day in everything you do.”
And part of Brown’s growth will be having the ability to play both small forward and power forward with the latter being a position he anticipated he would play some this season.
“Versatility is one of my key points,” Brown said. “I think I’m strong enough, agile enough to play the four (power forward). It’s going to take time. It’s going to be a progression, I have to get stronger, understand coverages better and things like that. But over time I definitely will probably play a lot of four.”