Former NBA star Evan Turner spent two seasons with the Boston Celtics from 2014 to 2016, which means he just missed playing with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. However, he still has a strong opinion about which one is better.
With Brown trade rumors heating up and debates raging over which Celtics superstar is better, Turner made a shocking claim about how Boston's season would have gone if Brown had missed most of the year instead of Tatum.
"If it were the other way around, I think [Jayson Tatum and the Celtics] would’ve been first in the East, and I think they would’ve made it out that Game 7," Turner said Friday on SiriusXM NBA radio.
“If it were the other way around, I think [Jayson Tatum and the Celtics] would’ve been first in the East, and I think they would’ve made it out that game 7”@thekidet on how the Celtics would’ve looked with Jayson Tatum leading instead of Jaylen Brown@TermineRadio | @JumpShot8 pic.twitter.com/NKOFqbmnOP
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 8, 2026
Despite getting just 16 games from Tatum during the regular season, the Celtics still won 56 games and took the two seed in the Eastern Conference, largely thanks to Brown's career year. They finished four games behind the Detroit Pistons for the one seed.
Tatum got injured again during the playoffs, however, missing the final five quarters of Boston's first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics lost Game 7 at home without Tatum, as Brown was unable to lead them past the Sixers.
Turner thinks if Brown had gotten hurt instead of Tatum, Boston would still be playing basketball.
He may be right. According to on/off court splits, the Celtics are at their best when Tatum is on the floor without Brown, and at their worst when Brown is on the floor without Tatum. Boston also has a better record when Tatum takes more shots than Brown and has a great record in general when Brown sits.
Brown did a great job in Tatum's absence this year, but ultimately it wasn't quite good enough.
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