“JB [Jaylen Brown] has always been a leader for us,” Baylor Scheierman told reporters at last week’s media day. “I mean, even when JT [Jayson Tatum] was, obviously, healthy, and I think, obviously, now that JT is going to be out, he's definitely taking that load on even more.”
Man, was he right.
Brown wasted no time sending his teammates, and the league, a message in the Boston Celtics’ preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies -- the Celtics aren’t backing down from this season.
Jaylen Brown looked great in first half of Celtics preseason game vs. Grizzlies
Right from the opening tip, JB made it clear that he is up for the challenge of leading this Boston team in the wake of what was a brutal summer.
JB, in the zone from the jump!
— NBA (@NBA) October 9, 2025
He dropped 15 in the 1st quarter of Boston's preseason opener 🔥 pic.twitter.com/AFcyf1Rs9k
The 28-year-old exploded for 15 first-quarter points on 4-7 from the field. He was a problem from everywhere, knocking down threes, getting to the rim, and forcing his way to the free-throw line -- where he shot 5-6, by the way.
He turned his tone-setting first quarter into a 21-point half, leading the Cs to a comfortable 23-point lead over the Grizzlies.
Granted, Memphis rolled out a lineup of rookies and rotation players as Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are recovering from respective injuries. It’ll be exciting to see how effective he’s able to be over the course of the upcoming season.
Brown has been very vocal about his desire to be a leader for this Celtic group as they enter a new era.
“We got five new players that we got to get onboarded and acclimated into the system,” he explained last week. “So, I'm trying to expedite that chemistry building, that trust building, so you guys can see a really good product when we get to the floor. But some of that stuff takes time. So, we'll see how it goes.
“We got a bunch of great guys, young guys, but integrating them into our system, our way of playing basketball, building that chemistry and trust, it doesn't happen overnight. So, we got some work to do, but I'm looking forward to it.”
Many of JB’s teammates credited him for organizing some team-building hangouts, first at a New England Patriots game, then at an NBA Youngboy concert, leading into training camp.
There’s plenty of basketball left to be played in Memphis, and of course, the season, but Brown’s effectiveness as a leader on and off the court is going to determine how high the 2025-26 Celtics can climb.