In a recent episode of the "No Fouls Given" podcast, Paul Pierce laid out his case for why Jaylen Brown should have made the All-NBA First Team. Instead, he earned a spot on the Second Team for the second time in his career.
The Boston Celtics star wing received 384 total points in the voting. Cade Cunningham, the final selection to the First Team, garnered 414 points. However, that's not who Pierce stated he would have picked Brown over.
Paul Pierce says Jaylen Brown should have been first team All-NBA over Luka Doncic:
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 25, 2026
“I know that’s saying a lot because Luka did lead the league in scoring, but he had more to work with, too. Think about it. He had LeBron all year. You got Reaves, you know, a lot of most of the… pic.twitter.com/YB1s3vTPJ3
"I know that's saying a lot because Luka did lead the league in scoring, but he had more to work with, too," said the Basketball Hall of Famer. Think about it. He had LeBron [James] all year. You've got [Austin] Reaves, most of the year.
"Jaylen Brown, he did the most with the least out of all these guys that's on this, and maybe Cade Cunningham. I mean, but Jaylen Brown didn't have a second All-Star. A lot of these guys did. You know what I'm saying? So, I would have probably removed Luka for Jaylen."
History was on Luka Doncic's side
Doncic and Cunningham did not appear in 65 games, the required minimum to qualify for awards and accolades like this. However, once the NBA deemed them eligible for these honors, the outlook on Brown making the All-NBA First team took a significant hit. And when the MVP voting revealed that he finished in sixth, behind the Detroit Pistons' star guard, it seemed like a signal that he would end up on the Second Team.
Along with missing two games for the birth of his child, Doncic received a one-game suspension after picking up his 16th technical. The league could have seen the latter as an argument against making him eligible. However, when that didn't happen, he was a lock for the First Team.
The Los Angeles Lakers' star led the NBA in total points, tallying 2143, and points per contest, producing 33.5 per tilt. Nine of the last 10 players who totaled the most points in a season secured a spot on the All-NBA First Team.
Pierce is right, Brown didn't have an option like LeBron James flanking him until Jayson Tatum returned in March. However, this wasn't going to be the year where the league's leading scorer got bumped down to the Second Team. Doncic nearly averaged a triple-double, generating 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game. He finished fourth in the MVP voting. As Pierce knows, he wasn't going to end up on the Second Team for the first time in his career.
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