Despite ranking among the most accomplished players of his era, Jaylen Brown has long been regarded as a star who isn't a true No. 1 option. The Boston Celtics have navigated the narrative by playing through Brown and Jayson Tatum, as well as a cast of All-Star veterans, but the noise seems to grow louder every time critics believe the 29-year-old will need to step up.
With Tatum sidelined, the All-Stars traded or departed via free agency, and all eyes on Brown, he's proving that he's every bit the No. 1 player skeptics never thought he'd become.
It's been one of the more bizarre narratives in the Association, as Brown is both decorated and accomplished. He's a Finals MVP, five-time All-Star, and All-NBA Second Team honoree who has won a championship and helped Boston make six Conference Finals appearances, including five as a starter.
It's been the 2025-26 season, however, that's confirmed what many thought was a mere fallacy: Brown has the ability to lead his team to victory in a No. 1 role.
Brown is currently averaging 29.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per game on .506/.370/.779 shooting. In turn, he's helped Boston jump out to a 19-12 record as the midway point of the 2025-26 regular season grows ever closer.
With a clear case for All-NBA First Team recognition, Brown is revealing the truth about his game: He was built for the lead role on a postseason hopeful.
Jaylen Brown was built for the No. 1 role despite critics saying otherwise
Brown's success can be attributed to an endless list of factors, but the biggest difference in 2025-26 has been that he's playing a more appropriate style for his skill set. A season ago, 32.0 percent of his shots were from beyond the arc despite the fact that he shot 32.4 percent from distance.
In 2025-26, 26.0 percent of Brown's field goal attempts have been threes—and he's up 4.6 percent in efficiency from 32.4 percent to 37.0.
Brown is only shooting 1.0 percent better on twos than his career mark, which suggests his success is sustainable. He's also converting at a clip that's just 1.0 percent higher than his career three-point field goal percentage, thus implying the same.
One of the primary sources of Brown's sustainable success has been how much more aggressive he's been when attacking the basket.
Brown is averaging 17.3 drives per game in 2025-26—up drastically from the 12.7 he averaged in 2024-25. He shot 51.7 percent on drives a season ago, scoring 7.7 points per game in said situation, and is at 12.8 points on 58.0 percent shooting in 2025-26.
Even if Brown's efficiency slightly declines over time, he's in his element as a downhill player who was previously in a rotation that had too many mouths to feed to properly nourish his preferred style of play.
Jaylen Brown is playing a style that fits his strengths and weaknesses
Some may remain skeptical of Brown's status as a true No. 1, but the numbers work in his favor. He ranks in the 100th percentile in rim shot creation, the 96th percentile in one on one shot making, and the 95th percentile in one on one shot making efficiency, per Basketball Index.
Brown is performing at a certifiably elite level as a scorer despite also ranking in the 95th percentile in guarded by matchup difficulty, which measures the quality of defenders he encounters.
What's most impressive about how Brown has handled his increase in responsibility on offense is that he's maintained his status as a plus defender. He ranks in the 59th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, as well as the 59th percentile in matchup difficulty as a defender.
It's been the epitome of a superstar season thus far, as Brown has embraced new challenges while maintaining his integrity as a two-way player.
It's also worth noting that Brown already has 19 30-point games and three 40-point showings in 2025-26. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has more 30-point outings than Brown thus far. The Celtics superstar also ranks seventh in 40-point performances.
Throw in a current streak of nine consecutive 30-point games that tied a Celtics record, and Brown is the true No. 1 critics swore he couldn't be.