The Celtics star can score, but his next evolution will be harnessing that talent and creating for others.

Jaylen Brown. The $300 million man.

Fresh off unequivocally the best season of his career, the Boston Celtics star landed the then-largest contract in NBA history. His All-NBA Second Team selection made him eligible for the supermax, and the Celtics obliged, handing him a five-year, $304 extension.

Unfortunately, between his dominant regular-season campaign and the signing of his shiny new deal, Brown churned in one of the worst performances of his career.

In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Jayson Tatum went down with an ankle injury on the first play of the game, leaving Brown to lead the Celtics, who were on the brink of making history by erasing an 0-3 series deficit. What followed was a testament to the most significant hole in his game.

Brown finished the game with 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while shooting 8-of-23 from the field and 1-of-9 from distance. Worst of all, he turned the ball over a career-high eight times en route to a 19-point Miami Heat blowout.

The ensuing vitriol thrown Brown’s way continued into the summer, most of which involved criticism surrounding his handle. Most of Brown’s turnovers game while he was going left, and the idea that Brown “doesn’t have a left hand” quickly spiraled into a meme greater than the problem itself.

But while Brown’s ball-handling certainly leaves something to be desired, it’s merely a part of the larger problem within his game – playmaking.

The term playmaking has been overused in the context of basketball. Does it mean passing? Does it mean floor vision? Does it mean a quick handle? It’s an all-encompassing word that gets thrown around a bit too much. But in the case of Brown, it’s the perfect term for the area in which he needs to improve the most.

Over the past three years, Brown’s usage rate has increased each season from 29.7% in 2020-21 to 30.5% in 2021-22 to 31.4% this past year. In tandem, his scoring numbers have improved year after year as well. What’s concerning is that his assist numbers have remained stagnant.

Raw assist numbers aren’t enough to quantify the type of playmaker Brown is, but the rest of his passing stats don’t paint an ideal picture, either. Despite ranking second on the team in minutes and passes received, Brown was fifth in passes made and fifth in potential assists.

Brown is too good of a scorer and space-creator to not be setting up his teammates at a high rate. If the Celtics are going to put the ball in his hands as much as they do (and should), he needs to improve.

Last season, Brown averaged 4.3 pick-n-roll possessions per game as the ball handler, which ranked third on the Celtics behind Tatum and Malcolm Brogdon. For context, Tatum ran 5.6 pick-n-rolls per game.

This possession early into last season is a bit awkward. Derrick White doesn’t set a full screen, instead slipping to the basket. Meanwhile, Al Horford has a bit of separation at the top of the key, but Brown tries to force the ball to White. Unfortunately, DeMar DeRozan reads it and nabs a steal.

The real issue on this play is Brown’s decision to leave his feet before making a read. If he had reacted quicker, he could have gotten the ball to Horford, and if he had taken an extra beat, a cross-court pass to Marcus Smart in the corner could have even been a possibility. Instead, Brown leaves his feet, leaving him with no choice but to dump the ball off.

Brown’s first step in the pick-n-roll can also be a problem. When Sam Hauser runs to set a screen, Brown’s first step is inside the three-point line. Michael Porter Jr. jumps him, forces him back into the screen, and Brown turns the ball over. He was so eager to get to his spot on the interior that the Denver Nuggets were able to predict the play before it happened.

Had Brown continued to bring the ball out toward the wing, opportunities could have opened up. White would have kept leaking to the opposite wing, leaving Brown with two options – attacking Porter Jr. on the drive or, if Christian Braun or Jeff Green tried to help, kicking the ball to Hauser or Grant Williams for a three. However, the small decision to step in rather than to the side prevented the play from developing.

Brown’s driving and mid-range game often go hand-in-hand with his pick-n-roll choices. Here, Horford sets a brush screen, allowing Brown to work on the wing. As soon as Brown drives, Nikola Vucevic sinks in, leaving Horford open at the top of the key. If you pause the video when Brown spins, he has a perfect opportunity to kick the ball out to Horford but instead continues his move, leading to a turnover.

This isn’t to say Brown should stop attacking the hoop. He should do it more. Among guards who took at least 300 shots within five feet of the basket, he had the third-best shooting percentage at 68.2%. He’s lethal around the rim.

However, if Brown can convert some of the inevitable double teams he’ll see in the paint into open shots for his teammates, the Celtics offense will benefit. That’s precisely what should have happened on this play.

Sometimes, the adaptation Brown needs to make is as simple as keeping his head up and his options open. The Celtics have the Heat beat on this play. Brown blew by Kyle Lowry, who sold out for the steal, resulting in a one-on-two with Caleb Martin guarding both Brown and Smart.

Once Brown felt himself get past Lowry, one of two choices could have saved the possession – slowing down or making a quicker read. Had Brown taken a beat and slowed down his drive, Martin would have had to commit to either him or Smart, which would have left the other open, or he would have gotten stuck in the middle. Both scenarios would have led to an open shot.

As soon as Brown chose to speed up however, his head should have been on a swivel. His decision to drive quickly caused Martin to step up, which left Smart open under the rim. But Brown’s gaze never left the basket. Once he got by Lowry, he only had eyes for the rim.

Speaking of keeping his head on a swivel, sometimes Brown just needs to make quicker choices with the ball in his hands. It’s not always the case, but the ball sticking to a player’s hands can often be the downfall of a possession.

Brown gets the ball in transition here, and the Celtics have a four-on-four break, but the Heat drop back in coverage. Had he looked around sooner, he could have zipped the ball to Horford on the wing.

Jimmy Butler does an excellent job of cutting off the passing lane, but Brown unfortunately followed up a missed opportunity with another mistake – picking the ball up. As soon as he tried to get the ball to Horford late and picked up his dribble, the Heat transitioned into deny mode. Every lane was clogged, and Brown was stuck.