Jaylen Brown’s Evolution For Celtics Presents Serious Problem For Rest Of NBA
Is Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown the best forward in the NBA right now? The Ringer’s Bill Simmons posed that rhetorical question recently during an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Simmons’ guest on the pod, NBA analyst Rob Mahoney, likewise had complimentary things to say about Brown, noting that JB’s leveling up this season bodes incredibly well for the Celts moving forward, especially when Jayson Tatum ultimately returns from his Achilles rehab.
Once JT is back fully healthy (be it this year or the next), the Brown-Tatum duo promises to be more lethal than ever before, which is a serious problem for the rest of the NBA.
“(Brown has become) one of the most reliable first option creators — basically in the entire league — in terms of like an every night basis, putting up damn near 30 a night,” Mahoney said. “The fact that the Celtics now have another one of those guys is pretty ridiculous for when Tatum comes back. It’s just a remarkable trajectory for Jaylen Brown.”
“I expected the excess (scoring), but thought it would come at more of a cost,” Mahoney continued. “And he’s just been everything they’ve needed him to be.”
Brown has emerged as the undisputed engine of the Celtics during their so-called “gap year”, steering them to the East’s third seed (as of Friday) with a 15-10 record. Brown has posted career-best numbers through 24 games: 29.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per contest on 49.9 percent shooting. His midrange mastery has fueled a top-10 offense.
December has been Brown’s domain. He erupted for 42 points against the Knicks on Dec. 1, then notched a 20-point triple-double (19-12-11) versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. A 41-point gem followed in a loss to Minnesota, capped by 30 points each against the Lakers and Raptors. For that four-win rampage, he earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors, averaging 34 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on elite efficiency.
On Dec. 12, Brown’s form propelled him up five spots to No. 5 on the Kia MVP Ladder, validating his dominance amid Boston’s five-game streak, which was snapped Thursday by a 116-101 Bucks defeat.
Brown and the Celtics will continue their regular season on Monday when they host the 19-5 Detroit Pistons at TD Garden. The Celts beat the Pistons at home back on November 26, in a 117-114 thriller. Entering Friday, Detroit held the No. 1 seed in the East, two games ahead of the New York Knicks.