Every season, Jaylen Brown can be counted on to add or enhance a piece of his game. As he’s stepped into the full-time No. 1 option role, getting to the free throw line has been a massive factor behind his elite production.
There is the arm-hooking, foul-baiting variety that draws groans from fans, and a less manipulative style usually born from a size or strength advantage.
The former brings questions of ethics, but it’s hard to deny its effectiveness. And unless you’re Shaq, a size and strength edge isn’t always rewarded. For Jaylen in particular, his reputation and physical driving have never quite resulted in an equivalent whistle.
This is something he’s gone on the record about, most recently after a November loss to the Timberwolves.
“I’m one of the most aggressive downhill players in the league. Nobody’s as aggressive as me. And I don’t understand. Night to night, it’s the same thing. I don’t get it.”
While Brown may not like it, it does seem like he’s starting to understand. If players are profiting from initiating and embellishing contact, there’s room for one of the most aggressive drivers to do the same.
This season, Brown’s free throw rate is a career high .35 — a significant improvement on his previous best of .29. He’s also converting 78% of his free throws, another career best mark.
It isn’t a coincidence that he’s getting more attempts. Additional touches and a higher usage are part of it, but it’s a sense of unpredictability he’s established that puts him in control.
Ryan Rollins stays connected here until Jaylen gives him a bump to create space. That small window is all he needs for his shot, but anticipating Rollins will close the gap, he gets him off his feet to draw the foul. It’s a drive where he could’ve pulled up at any point, or powered through contact to the rim. If he hasn’t decided what’s going to happen, the defense is at his mercy.
There are less moments where it feels like he’s trying to get to a predetermined spot without another plan. Now, the plan is that every spot on the floor is an option, and defenders have to respect that.
Here he has a screen from Neemias Queta to get downhill against Jalen Duren. Duren is expecting Brown to drive right, but he attacks his top foot, going between the legs to his left hand. This opens up Duren’s hips, and Brown uses that as an opportunity to create space with the step back. This lands him right in front of Tobias Harris, who clearly expected he was headed for the rim and couldn’t avoid the contact.
This version of Jaylen is highly adaptable to different coverages. He is weaponizing the threat of his midrange and finishing ability to blur the scouting report. Drives turn into decelerated layups just as quickly as they become offbeat pull-ups.
His versatility as a scorer opens even more avenues to operate. He can hunt mismatches in isolation or in the post, and he’s comfortable as both a ball handler and screener in PnR actions.
It’s nearly impossible to anticipate Brown would come across the defender’s body to his weak hand here instead of going up strong with the right. There’s a level of precision and certainty to his unlikely movements that you can’t account for. It leaves a smaller defender with no choice but to foul.
Brown ranks 5th in the NBA with 17.3 drives per game. Among the top 20, only Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have a better field goal percentage on these looks. He’s generating the 6th most FTA on drives as well.
Even with an elite downhill game and a better understanding of foul drawing opportunities, Brown’s career best free throw rate still ranks just 55th in the league. There is a large gap between himself and free throw savants like Gilgeous-Alexander and James Harden.
“If you wanna be an MVP, you wanna be top of the top, you gotta sell your soul and just be a flopper. Y’all tell me: What do you want me to do? Y’all want me to be on that? I can do it!”
Brown isn’t wrong that foul-baiting can feel like selling your soul, but he’s found a balance that doesn’t require it.
The level that Jaylen is at right now is exceptional. He’s averaging 10.2 free throws per night over their last five games, and 7.6 on the year. It’s quietly been the engine behind his best scoring season yet.
What makes it sustainable is how he’s getting there. Brown isn’t chasing whistles, but he’s leveraging his strengths to force defenders into uncomfortable situations. The midrange is so lethal that they can’t sit back, and his powerful drives demand respect.
He can still get from point A to point B, but the options now feel endless everywhere in between. Overplay the drive and he stops short. Crowd his pull-up and he welcomes the contact. Either way, the defense is reacting instead of dictating.
For Brown, this is the best of both worlds. He gets to keep his soul – and already has a Finals MVP trophy sitting in his closet.
