Handing out regular season awards to the 2022-23 Boston Celtics
By Ben Grunert
Boston Celtics Clutch Player of the Year: Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Brown played outstanding basketball all year long, averaging 26.6 points and 6.9 boards on 49.1% shooting from the field.
He also took on a large chunk of Boston’s crunch-time volume this season, sharing the load with Tatum in the clutch (5-point difference or less in the last 5 minutes of a game).
The Jays each averaged a team-high 3.0 points per game in the clutch with Brown shooting 42.6% from the field to Tatum’s 35.1% mark while also averaging 0.2 more field goals made than Tatum.
Tatum did a lot more of his clutch work at the free throw line, sinking 0.4 more clutch free throws per contest than Brown while shooting seven percent better from the charity stripe in these situations.
This award could have gone to Brown or Tatum, as well as Brogdon and White, who shot incredibly well in the clutch but on much lower volume than the Jays.
However, Brown’s mixture of impressive efficiency and volume makes him Boston’s Clutch Player of the Year.
In addition, Brown shot 66.7% from the field and 50.0% from deep in the final minute of games separated by three points or less.
Some clutch highlights of Brown’s season included a jaw-dropping logo three that sent a home game versus Miami to overtime and an 11-point outburst in overtime during a road win against the Lakers.
Brown also dealt with a freak accident right before the All-Star break when Tatum’s elbow mistakenly collided with his face, resulting in a facial fracture. However, Brown responded in the best way possible.
The explosive swingman returned from the break wearing a black face mask, and his game suddenly elevated to another level. In 19 games with the mask, Brown averaged 27.0 points per game on 50% shooting. He will continue to wear it throughout the playoffs.
After another outstanding campaign, Brown fully deserves his first-ever spot on an All-NBA team.
Whether he receives All-NBA honors or not, Celtics fans should expect more memorable moments from their masked superstar as the playoffs commence.