As Jaylen Brown continues to carry the Celtics past preseason expectations, he’s beginning to get more national attention.
The wing is No. 3 in the NBA’s latest MVP ladder, his highest peak of the season, trailing just Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Brown dropped 50 points on the Clippers in last Saturday’s win and the Celtics currently occupy the Eastern Conference’s third spot.
“He’s the biggest reason for the Celtics still being a contender despite the absence of (Jayson) Tatum,” Shaun Powell writes. “Brown is among the league’s scoring leaders and his current scoring average is among the most in a season (so far) in Celtics history. Yes, that includes Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Paul Pierce and Tatum. What’s more, his playmaking is improved and his defense is up to his high standards. The last time he looked this dominant for a stretch was when he won the 2024 Finals MVP. Apparently, he’s still ‘That Guy.’”
It’s not just media that’s been impressed by Brown’s season thus far: 29.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists. Nuggets coach David Adelman raved about him ahead of this week’s game.
“The elite shooting in the midrange is such a big deal in our game,” Adelman said. “It’s the late-clock ability. His overall size. His ability to play in the middle of the floor, which is really hard to come double people and not give up the 3-point line to a team like they have. I would just say his continued evolution of his game. He’s an elite All-Star player, two-way player and just watched him grow over the years.
“Not just the championship here. But with Jayson Tatum obviously out, more responsibility falls into his hands. I thought they did a great job building around him for this particular season with all the shooting that surrounds him. He’s a problem. He’s not fun to watch on tape when you have to play against him. I’m a fan of his just as a pure basketball person, not just as a coach. I actually got to spend some time with him in Africa when we were there, and he was such an impressive person. He’s good for the NBA.”