After taking home Finals MVP and giving the Boston Celtics the extra push they needed to win their first title since 2008, some questioned whether Jaylen Brown had overtaken Jayson Tatum as the face of the franchise. Brown still managed to make the fourth All-Star appearance of his career this season, but it’s hard to argue that the 28-year-old didn’t disappoint after having easily the two best campaigns of his career in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
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Brown’s mediocre showing in Boston’s second-round matchup with the New York Knicks only solidified what everyone already knew: Jayson Tatum is the Celtics’ best player. Boston’s first two losses at home were team efforts as the Celtics set records for missed threes, but Brown’s failure to step up after Tatum’s Achilles tear made any comeback attempt an uphill battle.
Tatum was in the midst of a postseason masterclass before his injury, posting 42 points in Boston’s Game 4 defeat. Brown stepped up in his co-star’s absence, posting 26 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists in the C’s surprising Game 5 victory, but Brown left plenty to be desired outside of that one impressive showing.
The ninth-year veteran’s recent playoff blunder has many questioning if Brown can ever be the first option on a contending team. Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe the four-time All-Star is capable right now, despite his immense talent. “I certainly won’t say he can’t be because he has the talent to be [a first option]”, Smith said of Brown on First Take.
“I’m a fan of this brother … But let me say this to y’all, [Brown] can be, but he doesn’t deserve that distinction, not right now,” Stephen A. continued. “I know he’s a champion, I know he’s an NBA Finals MVP, the brother can play. But there are two key moments in his career that will ultimately stain him.”
The longtime sports personality first called out Brown’s disappearing act in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals after Boston was on the verge of completing a miraculous 3-0 series comeback. Tatum was hurt early, giving Brown a prime opportunity to lead his squad to the NBA Finals. Instead, Miami shut the door on Boston’s title hopes.
Stephen A. then pointed to the Celtics’ most recent game, a blowout loss in a win or go home situation. “It was not a loss, it was an annihilation, a beatdown where the Boston Celtics looked like they quit,” Smith said. “They were getting beat so bad, they were so humbled, that they just surrendered.”
It’s hard to disagree with Smith, as the Knicks took over in the second quarter and never took their foot off the gas in their deciding 119-81 victory. The Celtics didn’t even look like a playoff team without Tatum, a damning implication of Brown’s ability as a first option. He trudged to an inefficient 20 points in what could be his last game as a Celtic.
It seems unfair to brand Jaylen Brown as overrated or unable to be a winning player when he just won Finals MVP and has been a part of an incredibly successful tenure that has included two finals runs and numerous conference finals appearances. However, it could be true if you see Smith’s opinions as a confirmation that Brown is not capable of being a top option.
The Celtics will have some tough decisions to make regarding the team’s core this offseason, and it seems that Brown could be casualty of their retooling. Plenty of teams would love to add Brown’s multi-faceted skillset to their core, even if he still hasn’t proven to be a consistent first option.
