Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Getty
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
When it comes to the NBA MVP race, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe it’s a two-man race between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
Instead, he believes the Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is deserving of Jokic’s spot as the No. 2, who could make a squeeze into the top spot as early as this week.
“Jaylen Brown is a top-two candidate for league MVP,” Smith said on Tuesday, March 10. “There are two road games coming up this week at San Antonio and then against Shai Butter and Oklahoma City. Now, Jaylen Brown, that’s gonna go a long way towards us looking at you.”
During a March 9 matchup between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, the former player earned a lot of support for having the MVP award locked up. Gilgeous-Alexander put together a spectacular performance while locking up the victory. On the other side, Jokic had a high-scoring triple-double, but the loss didn’t do him any favors.
Stephen A. Smith Places Attention On Jaylen Brown
“When you roll up in the San Antonio, and when you roll up in the Oklahoma City, what you gonna do?” Smith said of Brown.
“All of us are watching because we know what he can do, but what are you gonna do against those brothers? That is gonna go a long way. If it’s nip and tuck, we’re gonna have a nip and tuck MVP race. If Shai Butter goes out there and busts Boston’s you know what? That’s a problem. If Jaylen Brown goes out there with Boston and busts Shai in Oklahoma City, you know what we’re gonna be like? Oh, damn. We got to pause and look at this, because it’s a different day.”
NBACentral
Stephen A. Smith says it’s a two-man MVP race between Jaylen Brown and SGA, and Brown could steal the MVP if he wins his next two games vs. the Spurs and Thunder 👀
(Via @FirstTake )
You can’t consider this week’s MVP race make-or-break for Gilgeous-Alexander. Even if Brown puts together two statement performances with victories over the Spurs and the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander has an entire season of work that claims he’s the favorite.
While many might argue that Brown has been slighted throughout the year when it comes to MVP odds, the fact of the matter is that it’s been a two-man race between Jokic and SGA. Statement games for Brown might get him in the conversation, but it certainly won’t boost him into the favorites’ spot.
This season, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 31.7 points (55% FG, 38% 3PT), 6.6 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. He is the head of the snake in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder have been the top team in the Western Conference throughout the entire season.
As for Brown, he has 57 appearances this year. The veteran forward has shot 48% from the field and knocked down 34% of his threes to average 28.7 points. He is also coming down with 7.2 rebounds per game and producing 5.1 assists per game.
The Celtics have shockingly been the second-best team in the Eastern Conference through early March. With a 43-21 record, the Celtics are just 2.5 games behind the first seed in the East. Realistically, they could lock up No. 1 this season, despite missing Jayson Tatum for most of the year.
The Celtics and the Thunder will meet on Thursday, March 12. Before that, the Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs will battle it out on Tuesday, March 10. The game will tip off at 8 PM ET.