Will Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Use ESPN Graphic As Motivation?

Jaylen Brown has had an inconsistent start to the season following the conclusion of the NBA In-Season Tournament, but the Boston Celtics star isn't too worried about detractors.

The 27-year-old clapped back at an ESPN graphic that called out his ratio of field-goal attempts compared to assists. Brown on Tuesday had another chance to respond to the snipe about his supposed lack of passing.

"Slow news day," Brown told reporters, per MassLive's Brian Robb. "No context. It is what it is. Most people don't watch the games. It's all about trying to get better, improve and helping my team win and staying consistent in my regard. X, Y and Z, that’s what my focus is on."

Brown's per-game assist numbers through 20 games are in line with where they've been in seasons past. But his assist percentage has trended downward from two seasons ago, though as the All-Star seemed to imply, that is by design.

Jrue Holiday and Derrick White have taken on a lot more ballhandling duties this season, and Jayson Tatum arguably works best as the lead ballhandler for the Celtics. Brown is entrusted to pick his spots and be a primary scoring option, especially when head coach Joe Mazzulla staggers the rotation between him and Tatum.

Brown is no stranger to using outside noise as motivation, and that might be what he does moving forward.

"You could say that," Brown said. "That’s how I carry myself. I'm always getting better. It's been a story for me from the beginning of time. I'm going to keep improving, keep getting better. I'm not the same player I was last year and I'm not going to be the same player a year from now. Just always trying to improve and get better and work on my weaknesses. I put in a lot of work this summer. Obviously, it was a tough loss losing on our home floor one game before the Finals. Since then, I've been dedicated to making myself a better basketball player."

The loss to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals wasn't the end-all-be-all for Boston's season. Brown ended the contest with zero assists, but the game highlighted a larger concern for Brown to work on: His defense.

Players like Tyrese Haliburton continue to target Brown on pick-and-rolls, and the All-NBA guard consistently gets scored on. Brown certainly can deliver a score on the other end, but for the Celtics to win a championship, Brown must be a more consistent defender rather than a creator.

Brown has a 1.33 assist/turnover ratio through 20 games, which would be the best of his career. But his notorious ballhandling ability will be on the microscope during big games, and fans only can hope the In-Season Tournament loss was a learning point for the eighth-year guard.

There is an even larger microscope on Brown because of his supermax extension he signed last offseason, which made him the highest-paid player in the NBA. Tatum and other stars are sure to break that number, but for this season, the expectation is for Brown to step up in big moments and be a near-flawless player.

Those high expectations might not be fair to Brown, but it is the life of the NBA. Brown isn't on track to make his third All-Star appearance nor is he on track to make another All-NBA team. That certainly can change in the coming months, but consistency is the key for Brown in all facets of the game, except perhaps how many total assists he has per game.