Jaylen Brown’s start to the 2025-26 campaign has been unbelievable. The Boston Celtics star is playing about as well as anyone could’ve asked him to or imagined that he would, and the team’s record reflects how great his impact has been thus far.
Brown’s 29.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 50.5% from the field and 37% from deep have given the Celtics a reliable, efficient foundation for their team’s identity.
His leap as a No. 1 option with Jayson Tatum sidelined with a torn Achilles can not be praised enough. In fact, the praise should probably be louder nationwide.
Celtics legend and former NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce shared his theory as to why Brown isn’t being respected on a national scale.
“Everybody hates the Celtics,” Pierce explained on a recent episode of his No Fouls Given podcast. “We all know this. Why isn’t he [being talked about as an MVP candidate]? Nobody had the Celtics third in the East with no Tatum. The guy is putting up 30 consistently.”
Prior to Tuesday’s win over the Jazz, Brown had poured in 30 points or more in nine straight games, tying Larry Bird for the Celtics’ franchise record.
He has, in fact, been playing MVP-level hoops all season long. Boston’s 20-12 record in spite of the significant roster turnover they saw this summer, says a lot about Brown’s ability to put up said numbers while still contributing to winning. There are so many instances in the NBA where a player will get his own stats without necessarily making the team better.
That’s not the case in Boston.
Jaylen Brown has been in complete control, even with a larger role on the Celtics
The 29-year-old’s efficiency may be the most impressive part of the whole equation. He’s taking a career-high in shots per game while simultaneously logging a new best in field-goal percentage. Defenses are giving him their full attention on a nightly basis, and it doesn’t matter. Just about anytime JB has the ball in his hands, it feels like he’s in complete control and finds his way to his favorite spots on the floor for some easy (by his standards) buckets.
Brown’s dominance as a scorer alone should earn him a place in the MVP conversation. Sure, it’s tough when the league is as loaded with talent as it’s ever been, but Pierce is right. Nobody, not even the most optimistic Celtics fans, could’ve predicted how well this team would be performing heading into 2026.
All summer long, we all talked about a “gap year” and the possibility of tanking. Now, thanks to Brown, as well as some surprising production from role players like Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, and Hugo Gonzalez, fans are wondering what Boston’s ceiling is if Tatum is able to return to the lineup this season.
Brown has injected hope and belief back into this fanbase, after they were brutally beaten down by injuries and cost-cutting moves heading into the offseason.