Jaylen Brown never deserved to be on anyone's MVP ballot. Game 7 showed why: he is just not that level of star.
To be sure, Brown is an extremely skilled and talented player. His growth from raw athlete at Cal to All-NBA forward with the Boston Celtics was remarkable to watch. His combination of offense and defense next to one of the league's elite two-way players in Jayson Tatum formed the backbone of a championship team.
With Tatum out to start the season, the Celtics were expected to give it a shot this year and then fade down the standings, adding a good draft pick and saving money in what was being called a "gap year" for the perennial playoff team.
Brown deserves plenty of credit for driving Boston back to the top of the standings, where they floated for most of the season. They secured to No. 2 seed and won 56 games, an astonishing feat for a team that moved on from Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis before the season, was playing without Tatum, and even sent Anfernee Simons packing at the Trade Deadline.
MVP votes, though? Those were a step too far. Declaring the Celtics Brown's team after his prolific year? A huge mistake. The Celtics benefit from having both Brown and Tatum in the lineup; when push comes to shove, however, it's Tatum who stirs the drink, and Brown is left in support.
Not only did the underlying metrics suggest all season that Brown was overrated, but a new emphasis by the NBA referees changed everything for him. All season long, Brown was the worst perpetrator of the off-arm shimmy, of using his forearm to ward off defenders at all costs as he sought an open shot. Called for an offensive foul on multiple possessions in the series, it was communicated to him that his stiff-arm was not a legal move for the NBA.
Without that push-off, it was nearly impossible for Brown to find a way to separate and score against the 76ers. They took his lunch money again and again. Sometimes, Tatum or another Celtics player was there to lift him back up. But not in the final three games of the series as the 76ers came back from a 3-1 deficit.
In those three games, Jaylen Brown played 109 minutes total, and the Celtics were outscored by 66 points in those minutes. In the other 36 minutes, Boston outplayed the 76ers by 26. Who else was supposed to show up if not Brown? That answer is unclear, but if one thing was made clear in Game 7, it's that Brown is not The Guy.
Jaylen Brown gave it his all on Saturday night. He played 40 minutes and scored 33 points -- but needed 30 true shooting possessions to get there. He missed 15 shots all together. He had four assists (nice) but three turnovers (woof) and was -16 on the night.
Next season, Jayson Tatum should be back entirely healthy. Derrick White will have worked on his shot. Other pieces will have been added.
Brown's defense and motor are such that he can help any team win; he fits in beautifully next to other star players. But when he is asked to become that star player?
The results are underwhelming. Jaylen Brown cannot gain separation when trying to score. He has an improved, but still very much loose, handle. He makes the easy pass but doesn't see the complex one.
Brown deserved to be an All-Star. He probably deserved to be All-NBA. He has also been a colossal problem for the Celtics, who are trying to win a championship, now and in the future.
Is Brown a part of that future? It's unclear, although he and Tatum will be earning money from the team for years to come. If he can be the No. 2 guy, perhaps that is a perfect fit for his skillset.
What he is not is a star. A maestro. The solid Jaylen Brown performances from the regular season were entertaining. They helped Boston win.
When push comes to shove, however, Brown can no longer do it. And the sooner the Celtics come to that realization and start taking phone calls, the better.
Because Jaylen Brown is not good enough. The rest of the NBA knew it; perhaps the Celtics are ready to learn.
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