Marcus Smart just nailed what people are missing about Jaylen Brown's career year

Jaylen Brown always knew what he could do with more opportunities. However, winning has always been his top priority. On the Boston Celtics, a perennial title contender in the era of Brown and Jayson Tatum, their championship pursuit required sacrifice.

While Brown has always been happy to oblige, he now gets his long-awaited shot to shoulder more responsibility. It's a chance for him to be his best self and for him to take his game to an even higher level. Who wouldn't want that opportunity?

Now that he has it, Marcus Smart shared his perspective on what Brown is showing the basketball world.

"Just what he's always been able to do," conveyed Smart before the Celtics' 111-89 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. "I think, you know, just like I said, because of how talented he is, he's always just been overshadowed, JB has. And now, with no shadow around him, you get to see Jaylen for Jaylen, and bring what he brings more to the table than what we just get to see because of the talent that they do have. But Jaylen [is] doing exactly what he's been doing when I was there, what he's been asking to do, and what he's been showing the league."

What Jaylen Brown is demonstrating this season

The former Finals MVP has responded to his long-awaited opportunity by averaging 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per contest. The tenth-year veteran is converting on nearly 50 percent of his field goal attempts.

What's most impressive is that Brown is attempting and finishing the most drives per contest this season. He's also in the top six in shots made from the mid-range, per NBA.com.

Despite the taxing nature of attacking downhill like that, the 29-year-old wing's ability to sustainably balance both is at the heart of his consistently creating quality chances for himself and his teammates. It has helped propel Boston to the second-best offensive rating in the NBA.

"He's just improved so much year to year, it's actually -- it's remarkable," voiced JJ Redick before the Celtics' win in their rivalry clash with the Lakers. "I was watching personnel tape yesterday and went on our internal site, and [I] was looking at his drive numbers going left versus right. Everybody says he can't go left, and there's just no holes in his game."

Brown's two-way impact, while being available for 51 of his team's 54 games, delivered him his first career start in the NBA All-Star Game. True to his vision, it's not just that he's having a great season; the Celtics are in second in the East. They look the part of a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.

Since the 1979-80 season, only four teams have failed to win 40 games before losing 20 but gone on to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the conclusion of that campaign. If Boston goes undefeated in its next three tilts, it will bring its record to 40-19.

Of course, if Jayson Tatum returns to give this team's championship chase a boost, perhaps they will become the fifth franchise to reach the NBA mountaintop despite losing at least 20 games before winning 40. It would be a fitting end to a season spent defying expectations.