What Jaylen Brown demonstrated in Game 5 vs. the New York Knicks last postseason exemplified the best way for him to operate as the Boston Celtics' top option.
The four-time All-Star led with a selfless approach. His focus wasn't on trying to do too much or how many points he could put on the board. Instead, he repeatedly made the right basketball play, with an emphasis on creating quality chances for his teammates.
Brown finished that win with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. As far as his place in Celtics history goes, it was a legacy-enhancing performance. That included stifling Jalen Brunson and a game-changing dive by Boston's bench that his team and the TD Garden faithful fed off.
The former All-NBA selection has consistently returned a better player than when the previous season ended. Maintaining his approach that night throughout the upcoming campaign is the optimal path for his and the team's growth.
With Jayson Tatum rehabbing a torn Achilles, Brown being a rising tide that lifts all boats, helping those around him elevate their play, as he does the same, is how the franchise actualizes its hopes of an immediate return to title contention when Tatum's healthy.
Jaylen Brown's under-the-radar growth
At the forefront of the evolution that led to the six-foot-six wing winning Eastern Conference and NBA Finals MVP in the 2024 playoffs was the leap he made as a facilitator.
The first glimpse of it came with the lightning-quick chemistry he developed with Kristaps Porzingis. Then there was utilizing his abilities as a passer to punish opponents for blitzing him and turning his ability to produce paint touches into kick-out threes.
Brown's continued progression as a facilitator wasn't as pronounced last season. However, it did take place. A statistical example is him averaging nearly 10 assists per 100 possessions without Tatum on the floor. That comes courtesy of play-by-playstats.com. When Boston's star duo worked in tandem, that figure dropped to five assists per 100 possessions.
That reduction is understandable. But now the Marietta, Georgia, native has an entire season to operate as the Celtics' top option. Maximizing that chance means making another leap as a facilitator while being at the top of every team's game plan without another individual of All-NBA stature alongside him.
Now that Brown gets his long-desired chance to be the unquestioned top option, it will become easier to recognize improvement as a facilitator. Building on his growth as a passer is the key to capitalizing on the opportunity in front of him.
Doing so will elevate those around them. Many of whom are fighting to prove they can be long-term contributors in Boston. It will also benefit Tatum as he aims not to let his Achilles tear define the next chapter of his career.
The duo has led the Celtics on a remarkably dominant run for nearly a decade. Picking up where they left off when Tatum returns starts with Brown maximizing his time without him.