Now that he’s no longer a Celtic, it’s a lot easier to point out Jaylen Brown’s flaws and some of the crazy things he said, like calling himself the best two-way player in the league. He can lock in and guard guys one-on-one almost as well as anyone in the league. He loves taking on that challenge, and a big reason why he won Finals MVP in 2024 was the way he took care of Luka Doncic on the defensive end.
But the truth is, despite those great moments and the way he talked and was perceived by many in the media, Brown’s defense really wasn’t all that great. Yes, in big moments and big games, he would take on that major assignment, but it’s not exactly like he was matching up with superstars regularly.
Brown's defense became absurdly overrated
And when he wasn’t on the ball, he wasn’t making a positive impact. Even this deep into his career, he has a tendency to ball-watch and fall asleep, causing the team's defense to crater. He also doesn’t generate a lot of turnovers, and he’s really just an average rebounder for his size and athleticism.
The narrative around Brown’s defense simply doesn’t match up with the reality of his impact, and aside from taking on key matchups, he was largely a net negative on that end of the floor.
The Celtics will likely be better off without him, as Paul George is a much better team defender, has a higher IQ on that side of the ball, and is great at forcing steals and getting deflections. He may not be a guy who locks down elite perimeter players on a regular basis anymore, but he showed in the playoffs that he still has it in him.
Walsh, Gonzalez, and others can take on elite matchups
Boston may not have one guy who’s clearly going to step into the starting lineup and take on the toughest matchup each night, but they have a bunch of guys who can do it situationally. Jordan Walsh proved he’s up to the task last year, as did Hugo Gonzalez, and Baylor Scheierman and Ron Harper Jr. had moments as well.
Jayson Tatum can still get there when he needs to, as can PG, and the back-line defense from Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson should cover up most letdowns on the perimeter. Beyond that, they still have an All-Defense guard in Derrick White who can do almost anything and play any role that his team needs on D.
The combination of bodies they can throw at people, the way they can switch and change scheme, and the depth to really hound players with pressure and fresh legs is going to be impressive. We may not get the cinema of JB going toe-to-toe with other superstars on both ends, but in this instance, I expect the whole to be a lot greater than the sum of its parts.
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