Are concerns with Jaylen Brown’s left-handed dribble overblown?

It’s become a lazy trope to pick on Jaylen Brown’s left-handed dribble, but is it fair or foul?

Shortly after the 2023 NBA season concluded, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown caught a lot of criticism, specifically about his limitations dribbling with his left hand. Brown had several costly turnovers in the postseason, many while dribbling with his left hand. Though Brown was suffering from the lingering effects of a laceration in his hand, opposing players like Miami Heat guard Caleb Martin were openly suggesting Brown’s left-handed dribble was a liability.

Weeks later, this narrative has persisted. As the 2023-24 regular season approaches, it’s become somewhat accepted dogma that Brown has a glaring hole in his game. Take the Ringer’s Danny Chau, who recently identified an offseason wish for each team in the NBA. His pick for Boston underscores how tired the take has become, even if it holds a certain merit.

“I’d venture to guess,” Chau wrote, “there would be a not-insignificant number of people around the world who would watch a six-hour livestream of Jaylen Brown being forced to do everything—brushing his teeth, dribbling a basketball, making breakfast, dribbling a basketball, lacquering a raw-edge wood slab table, dribbling a basketball—with his left hand.”