With the bright lights of an ESPN nationally televised contest against the Los Angeles Lakers drawing eyeballs from the NBA’s general populace on Nov. 8,  second-year forward Jaylen Brown was a relative non-factor offensively, scoring nine points on 3-of-11 shooting, including an 0-of-3 showing from three-point range.

A week prior, in an identical scenario versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was a similarly ineffective 1-of-3 from deep, going 3-of-9 from the field overall for 11 points. He struggled mightily again on Nov. 6, as the Boston Celtics outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 110-107, scoring only 11 points on a rough 1-of-5 effort from beyond the arc

Turn the clock back to Nov. 1, however, and Brown pumps in 22 points on 5-of-6 shooting from deep during the Celtics’ victory over the Sacramento Kings. Jump ahead to Nov. 5, in a win against the Orlando Magic, and he improved yet again. He led the team in scoring with 18 points, including three triples that came on five takes.

And herein lies the single issue that will define Brown’s career: He may be young, but if he doesn’t add a steady three-point shot to his arsenal, he may be closer to his ceiling right now than many fans hope or realize.

Brown has never been considered a shooter because he’s never needed to be one. His athleticism and headstrong approach allowed him to score on inferior defenders at will, plenty of which has held true in the NBA. You can see how the urgency to hone a three-point shot may have eluded him when he can make plays like this:

Last season, playing an ancillary role at 17.2 minutes per game, Brown largely stuck to his strengths, only attempting 1.7 three-pointers per game and making a tolerable 34.1 percent. This season, he has seen what was already going to be an increased role accentuated further with Gordon Hayward’s injury.

Brown has started every game for the Celtics while averaging 31.9 minutes. He’s attempting 4.6 threes per game and putting them down at a 36.7 percent—career-high volume to go with career-high efficiency. He took 31.9 percent of his field goals from deep last year. That figure is up to 38.7 percent this season.

Plenty of factors have led to this slight bump. Brown has identified shooting as a weakness in his game and put in work over the offseason. He is also cognizant of the void created by the Hayward injury. Head coach Brad Stevens and his staff likely made plans around Hayward’s diverse offensive repertoire. If Brown can provide something similar, which he has so far, it eases everyone’s burden.

Just so we’re clear: Brown is not Hayward. Nor are their styles similar. But Brown has demonstrated competency in getting to the rim, handling the ball and hitting jump shots (so far at least)—areas in which Hayward was expected to excel. It is a smoother transition than the Philadelphia 76ers or Utah Jazz using one of their secondary players to replace the marksmanship of J.J. Redick or rim protection of Rudy Gobert, respectively.

Every single one of his three-pointers has been assisted on thus far; almost 96 percent of them came off dimes during his rookie campaign. This can be attributed to the fact that pulling up is a physically a more challenging feat than catching and shooting—especially when you’re already a poor shooter who often plays at full bore like Brown.

All these numbers are up from his one season at the NCAA level, where he posted a 52.1 true shooting percentage and shot 30 percent from three on 102 attempts, according to data from Hoop-Math.com. Close to 90 percent of his threes were assisted during that time, perhaps showing he has become more accepting of letting the ball come to him. He had a 31.4 usage percentage in school. During his rookie season in the NBA, he was at 18.1 percent, and he’s been upped to 21.5 percent this year. 

Brown doesn’t enjoy that same volume on the Celtics. Kyrie Irving is now “The Guy” within their roster construct. Al Horford has a long career of success, and his pick-and-pop and passing abilities render him an offensive focal point. Marcus Smart, somehow the Celtic’s longest-tenured player, also lacks a skill set conducive to off-ball scoring . He needs to use his physicality on the attack, with the rock in his hands. Someone has to be on the wing or corner for spacing, and Brown has so far filled that role. Around 35.6 percent of his threes were from the corner last season; that share is up to 40 percent this year, and he’s making 45.5 percent.

The sophomore is also still young and raw. He’s not in position to demand the ball and make something happen. He can create for himself, but he doesn’t have the pure or polished skills to usurp Boston’s veterans in the offensive pecking order.

Still, he has been growing as a sniper for some time now. Last season, prior to the All Star break, he was shooting a paltry 30.4 percent from three-point range. That increased to a more proficient 37.9 percent for the rest of the year. In February, he saw starting time due to an injury to then-Celtic Avery Bradley and played well. That steady trend upward is promising, and Brown has shot considerably better as a pro than Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram—wing compatriots who were chosen ahead of him in the 2016 NBA draft.

As many Celtics fans know, though, the eye test continues to prove Brown is erratic from deep. But he can be effective, especially playing in a lineup with Irving, Jayson Tatum and Horford, who all have steady three-point range. Irving’s and Tatum’s ability to create for themselves will also open up space for him, and he will need  to capitalize on opportunities like this:

A quality deep ball is paramount to success for wings in today’s NBA. Unless you’re a intergalactic specimen like LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo, or an elite passer like Simmons, the absence of a three-point shot can break you.

Brown has the skill set and potential to become a perennial All-Star. Otto Porter Jr. of the Washington Wizards is a good case study. The fellow No. 3 pick appears to be contending for an (early-season) All-Star nod while averaging 17.9 points per game, with 51.1 percent three-point shooting on 45 attempts—more than 38 percent of his total looks.

The two are not physically analogous, and they have different styles. But their roles on offense are similar. Brown is now looked at as a third option in light of Hayward’s absence—a role Porter has filled since last season. And that means both live to take pressure off their stars, without overextending themselves, by getting buckets when called upon as complementary weapons.

During Porter’s final year in the collegiate ranks, he took 102 threes (29.1 percent of his total field-goal attempts) and knocked down 42.2 percent of them, according to Hoop-Math—healthier numbers than Brown that still didn’t translate to the NBA. Ignoring a rookie season in which Porter barely played due to injury,  he still only attempted 104 three-point shots as a sophomore in the league, making 33.7 percent.

This season is still too young to make sweeping determinations, but Ported joined the 40-40 club last year—over 40 percent shooting from deep, with more than 40 percent of his looks coming from beyond the arc, as he became the Wizards’ clear third option. His improvement has been quick and impressive.

Boston’s brass is likely pulling for a similar trajectory with Brown. Developing a consistent three-point shot can unlock so much more for him and the team. It allows him, as well his running mates, to diversify the offensive approach. Defenders have to close out harder, making them more vulnerable to his foot speed if he chooses to attack the rim. Players also have to stay tighter in help position, creating more room for creators like Irving and Tatum to do their thing. If they get going, forcing collapses to combat their dribble penetration, it means less attention on Brown.

All in all, the returns on Brown are promising this season. But the schedule remains in its infancy. His numbers seem more likely to regress than improve. And that’s fine. Gradual upticks from year-to-year matter more than one-off leaps.

But the onus is still on Brown to become a dependable shooter sooner than later if he and the Celtics are going to reach their shared ceiling.

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Statistics are accurate as of all games headed into November 12, 2017. All non-cited statistics are from Basketball-Reference.com. All salary information is from RealGM.com