Jaylen Brown’s grade: A
After signing a $115 million contract, Jaylen Brown had to prove his worth. And he made general manager Danny Ainge look like a genius, displaying why he is one of the best young talents in the league. Although he does not get the attention of Kemba Walker or Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown has shown he can do nearly everything.
In the regular season, Brown averaged 20.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, along with a 48.4 field goal percentage and a 38.2 3-point percentage. (Also, the Boston Celtics never lost when Brown scored more than 25 points. Defensively, Brown became the perfect complement to Marcus Smart, providing great on-ball defense to some of the best defenders, while Smart stayed a pest off the ball. Brown’s perimeter and post defense allowed him to be interchangeable, able to stay with the best player of any team.
Even though he did not get an All-Star selection, his impressive consistent play made him a close runner-up for the honor. Without Jaylen Brown, the Celtics likely finish with a significantly different record, being the player to always step-up when they needed it.
Speaking of which, in the second round of the playoffs, his defense against Pascal Siakam is arguably the sole reason why the Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors. In 135 possessions, Brown held Siakam to 12 three-point shots, and he only made two of them. Then in the next conference finals, he held Jimmy Butler to 12 total shots in 43 minutes.
Brown subtly became a difference-maker just like Tatum, and just like Tatum has the ability to one day become a perennial all-star. As long as the two ‘Js’ stay together, the Celtics will be competitors, and Brown confirmed that with his play this season.